Bord van Engels hardgebakken aardewerk, Boch faience fine. c. 1775 - 1810

This plate, made by Boch, is an example of faience, a type of tin-glazed earthenware that imitates porcelain. The body of the plate is earthenware, made from clay and fired at a relatively low temperature, then coated with an opaque glaze. The painterly decoration, applied by hand, gives this plate a personal touch. The floral design in shades of blue is typical of this style. The plate exemplifies the social context of ceramics, somewhere between art and craft. Boch was a large manufacturer, and the faience technique allowed them to create visually appealing tableware on a large scale, accessible to a broad market. Despite the industrial context of production, the decoration retains the mark of the maker, reflecting a specific cultural aesthetic. The plate’s significance lies in its reflection of shifting cultural tastes and the industrialization of craft practices. This challenges the idea that functional objects cannot also be art.