Dish with a bouquet and flower sprays c. 1800 - 1849

This ‘Dish with a bouquet and flower sprays’ was crafted by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur. The porcelain dish speaks volumes about 18th-century European dining culture and the aristocracy's embrace of luxury. Porcelain, often referred to as ‘white gold’, became a symbol of status, reflecting wealth and refined taste. The floral design, with its bouquet and scattered sprays, draws on the popular naturalism of the time, reflecting both a scientific interest in botany and the decorative arts' penchant for floral motifs. These motifs were not merely decorative; they were imbued with meaning, subtly communicating messages of beauty, abundance, and refinement to those who dined upon it. Consider the hands that fired and painted this dish, their identities now largely obscured by the passage of time, yet integral to the object's creation. The ‘Dish with a bouquet and flower sprays’ invites us to reflect on the intricate relationships between art, society, and individual expression.