Plate
ca. 1834–ca. 1851
Medium
Earthenware, transfer-printed
Dimensions
Diam. 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm)
Classification
Plate
Culture
British (American market)
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Mandeville Johnston, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. S. Johnston, 1914
Accession Number
14.102.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant earthenware plate, produced by the British firm Mellor, Venables & Co. between about 1834 and 1851, was crafted specifically for the American market. Measuring just over eight inches in diameter, it exemplifies the refined yet accessible tableware that British potteries exported across the Atlantic during the early nineteenth century. The transfer-printed decoration, a technique that allowed intricate designs to be applied efficiently to ceramics, features motifs of men and a coat of arms, blending heraldic tradition with contemporary imagery popular among American consumers. Tra...