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

This plate with floral decorations was made by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur, using delicate porcelain. Porcelain’s story is tied to global trade and courtly ambition. Its creation involves carefully refined clay, shaped then fired at intense temperatures to achieve a smooth, translucent quality. Notice the plate’s undulating rim and the hand-painted bouquets. These details demanded skill, patience, and the division of labor within the manufactory. This plate, intended for dining, also acted as a display of wealth and status. In the eighteenth century, porcelain was more than a material; it was a symbol of technological prowess and economic power, with factories like Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur central to this culture of production and consumption. Appreciating this plate means recognizing the complex relationship between material, making, and social context, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.