Plaque with Priam and Achilles c. 1790

This plaque depicting Priam and Achilles was made at the Wedgwood Manufactory, a British pottery firm founded in 1759. The scene shows a moment from Homer's "Iliad," with the Trojan king Priam pleading with Achilles for the return of his son Hector's body. Wedgwood produced jasperware using neoclassical designs which were then in vogue. The firm drew inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman art. It created cameos and plaques which became popular luxury items, feeding the taste of the British elite for classical antiquity. The scene embodies themes of grief, reconciliation, and the humanization of enemies, presented through a refined aesthetic suitable for elite drawing rooms. The success of firms like Wedgwood tells us a great deal about the social and cultural values of late 18th-century Britain. The historian might explore Wedgwood's archives, design books, and customer lists to further understand the market for these classicizing works. The meanings we ascribe to art are always dependent on such social and institutional contexts.