Tobacco Leaf, one of the most prized of Chinese Export patterns, was developed circa 1780, probably for the Portuguese and Brazilian markets - though examples have also been found in other European countries and in North America. The design shows the leaves of the flowering Nicotiana (Tobacco) plant upon which a small phoenix perches bearing a flowering twig in its beak. This exact reproduction requires twenty-eight colors including 22K gold and five firings to manufacture. The joyous exuberance of the Tobacco Leaf pattern is undiminished by time. Tobacco Leaf is an authorized reproduction for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
