Plate 1745 - 1755

This tin-glazed earthenware plate was created by Pierre-Clement Caussey in eighteenth-century France. The material itself – earthenware coated with an opaque glaze – was developed to imitate expensive Chinese porcelain, but was far more affordable to produce and purchase. This plate would have begun its life on a potter’s wheel, then been fired in a kiln to harden the clay. The decorator, perhaps Caussey himself, would have added the floral patterns using mineral pigments. Note the somewhat freehand quality, and the small imperfections of the glaze – signs of handcraft that distinguish this plate from factory-made ceramics. While such plates were certainly used and enjoyed, they also stand as reminders of the complex networks of trade and labor that fueled Europe's growing appetite for fashionable goods. The amount of work involved in the production process is clearly evident. Considering the material of this plate, and how it was made, helps us to appreciate its full significance – and to challenge the traditional separation of art from craft.