How is meaning acquired? When I asked my co-workers about what the fruit on the porcelain plate meant to them, they told me that they had never seen this fruit before.

In contrast, the peach is highly significant in Chinese culture – this item’s culture of origin. As more products flow in from China and are bought based upon their price and distribution range, such as these placemats, what significance will these objects gain as they are taken out of their relevant cultural context and thrust into an unfamiliar one?

As with those placemats, these saucers and cups were likely purchased with an eye towards affordability as opposed to aesthetics – the peach design is likely not considered when would-be purchasers are considering it, and I have yet to see proof that China is plugged in enough to design consumer goods specifically targeting Myanmar’s customers. Incidentally a rough and informal measurement of a country’s development – how many items are designed/produced internationally and marketed specifically to their citizens?