Plate 1794 - 1844

Curator: Here we have an earthenware plate dating from 1794 to 1844, now held at the Metropolitan Museum. The design features folksy floral motifs. What springs to mind for you looking at this? Editor: A certain domestic warmth. I see sun-dried pottery sitting on a shelf, maybe holding fruit, definitely home-made. But look closely; I bet a potter had their hands all over this piece on a fast wheel in series- the warmth has its origin in mass availability. Curator: Yes, absolutely. This isn’t some unique objet d’art commissioned by royalty, is it? There’s a real utilitarian spirit to the object and I find its imperfection endearing, even, dare I say, intentional. What does the rough glazing signify? I like how there’s this slight bubbling, how the flowers droop but their patterns never break. Editor: Bubbling glazes speak volumes about production. In perfectly controlled environments these inconsistencies would be banished. The fact we still see them on display invites a look at production processes of this plate and, by implication, others like it: the working class artist asserting beauty through imperfect material means. Curator: And the color scheme—ochre, green and the brown outlining. They are simple yet compelling and surprisingly joyful to contemplate for all that simplicity. I wonder, does anyone still feel this joy in making the everyday utensils in our lives today? Editor: Good point! Labor conditions are always embedded within objects: you have to consider how much time one has at disposal, and what modes of access they are given. By implication, if workers do not have access or autonomy in materials then beauty is far more elusive in final form. Curator: Well, I do agree about its rough beauty! I shall have to look closer at modern dinnerware… I suppose I’m going to wonder now: “How can joy enter *this* object?” Thank you for broadening my insight here. Editor: You're welcome! Reflecting on that, my quick assumption of warmth in pottery must then acknowledge it may belie exploitation: let's not forget these contexts that shaped an everyday, folksy craft like ceramics.