Plate with the coat of arms of Hendrik Peter Godfried Quack and Isabella Gertraud von Carnap c. 1790 - 1800

This porcelain plate with the coat of arms of Hendrik Peter Godfried Quack and Isabella Gertraud von Carnap was crafted by E. Blancheron. The plate immediately strikes you with its stark contrast: a pure white base adorned with intricate golden decorations. The golden details, featuring delicate leaves that encircle the plate's rim, lead your eye to the central heraldic emblem. This composition, with its clear distinction between the central image and the border, speaks to a structured approach to design. The symmetry and balance between the decorative elements and the central coat of arms create a visual harmony. The plate engages with cultural codes of status and identity. Heraldry, as a semiotic system, uses visual symbols to communicate lineage, affiliations and power. Thus, this plate becomes more than just tableware; it is a symbolic representation of social standing. This challenges fixed meanings by questioning how material objects become imbued with social and cultural value.