Plate with Isnik floral and foliate pattern 1881

This plate, made by Minton(s), features an Isnik floral and foliate pattern. Minton was one of the great ceramics firms in England, and their wares were collected across the British Empire and beyond. This particular design is a kind of cultural appropriation – a British factory applying motifs derived from Ottoman Turkey. The original Isnik pottery was made with a very specific, highly refined technique, including hand-painting under a glassy glaze. Minton adapted this aesthetic using industrial methods. Notice how the transfer-printed and gilded decoration sits on the surface, lacking the depth of the original. Yet the proliferation of such objects also helped disseminate design ideas on a global scale, connecting different cultures through things. Examining an object like this prompts us to consider the complex relationship between labor, cultural exchange, and industrial production.