Plate 1765 - 1775

This plate was made by the Veuve Perrin Factory, using a refined white clay known as porcelain, and decorated with colorful overglaze enamels. What’s interesting here is the way that a factory setting – with its division of labor – could create something so delicate and visually complex. It begins with the refinement of raw clay, molded to this elegant, scalloped form. After an initial firing, the plate would have been passed to skilled painters. They layered the enamel pigments to create a vibrant bouquet. This particular arrangement of flowers is known as 'au panier fleuri'—literally, 'with a basket of flowers'—popular at the time. But it is a fantasy. The combination of blooms could never occur in nature. The plate represents a moment in history when the natural world, commodified as ornament, entered the domestic sphere, thanks to factory production. So, next time you set the table, think of the many hands that brought beauty into being, challenging our notions of art, craft, and industry.