Plate with precious objects and flower sprays
c. 1725 - c. 1745
Medium
turning
Dimensions
12.3; 2.8; 22.8
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
diameter 22.8 cm
Art Historical Context
This delicate plate, titled *Plate with Precious Objects and Flower Sprays*, exemplifies 18th-century craftsmanship from an anonymous artist, dating to around 1725–1745. Measuring just 2.8 cm in height and 22.8 cm in, its shallow form makes it ideal for serving delicate confections or displaying as a decorative piece. The motifs—richly rendered precious objects symbolizing wealth and good fortune, paired with vibrant flower sprays—evoke and harmony, common themes in ornamental arts of the period. Crafted using the "turning" technique, a precise method of shaping clay on a lathe after initial wheel-throwing, the plate showcases technical mastery. This process allowed for smooth, symmetrical finishes and fine details, highlighting the artisan's skill in creating functional yet elegant tableware. Such pieces were prized in affluent households, bridging utility and artistry. Though anonymous, this work reflects the era's fascination with intricate, symbolic designs that blended nature and luxury. Visitors can appreciate how it captures the refined aesthetics of early modern ceramics, inviting us to ponder the hands that shaped its graceful curves centuries ago.
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...