Plate 1876 - 1896

This is a Coalport plate, likely made in the 19th century, now held at the Metropolitan Museum. Note the striking contrast of the gold ground with the cobalt blue detailing of birds and bamboo. Consider how the plate's composition deliberately plays with ideas of symmetry. The bamboo stalks and leaves frame the birds, yet no two elements are precisely mirrored. This creates a visual tension, an interplay between order and spontaneity. Observe how the artist has distributed the birds across the plate, each in a different pose, adding dynamism. The use of cobalt blue against the gold disrupts traditional notions of color harmony. This choice of color amplifies the decorative impact and challenges conventional aesthetic expectations. The composition isn't merely decorative. It’s an active engagement with perception, inviting us to question fixed notions of beauty and balance. The asymmetry destabilizes our expectations, prompting a reconsideration of the interplay between art and its viewer.