Plate with "Disheveled Birds" (One of Thirteen)
ca. 1758–1769
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Forsyth Wickes
Accession Number
1962-218-4
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate plate, titled *Plate with "Dishe Birds" (One of Thirteen)*, hails from the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory a pioneering English ceramics workshop active from 1745 to 1784. Produced around 1758–1769 the factory's Gold Anchor period—its most technically refined phase—this piece exemplifies early British porcelain artistry. Chelsea was among the first in England to rival expensive Chinese imports, using soft-paste porcelain fired at lower temperatures to create translucent, elegant wares adorned with playful motifs like the whimsical "disheveled birds" here. As part of a set of thirteen plates, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection (gift of Forsyth Wickes), it highlights the rococo influence popular in mid-18th-century Europe. Bird designs were a favored theme, evoking nature's charm amid the era's ornate tastes. Though research continues, this plate showcases Chelsea's mastery of molded forms and painted enamels, bridging luxury tableware with artistic expression. Visitors, imagine dining with such finery— a testament to 18th-century innovation and the allure of English ceramics! (178 words)