The pineapple was a rare and expensive fruit in the colonies, and symbolized the spirit of hospitality. As such, it was a popular and recurring design motif in eighteenth century decorative arts--and still the sign of hospitality today. The colorful floral design of the Portsmouth Pineapple porcelain box is interpreted from an early nineteenth-century wallpaper in the collection of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Gold highlights. Aged brass finial. Materials: porcelain