Named for a seafaring English family involved in the East India trade, the Fitzhugh pattern on this platter closely resembles designs on Chinese textiles from the 1700s. Four groups of flowers or plants are spaced evenly around a circular center panel. Designed for the Western market, Fitzhugh services were made at the Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangxi province, China, and were available in a variety of colors. Especially popular between 1780 and 1820, the Fitzhugh pattern was sometimes found on American tables. This striking red orange platter from a large dinner service belonged to John Donnell, the Baltimore merchant who once owned Willow Brook.