Dish 1827 - 1843

This ceramic dish was produced by William Adams & Sons during the 19th century. At first glance, the scene appears to be a mere idyllic landscape, but we must look deeper. Dishes like these served as domestic objects that brought the world into the home, and they also remind us of the entangled relationship between aesthetics and power. The scene depicts what is likely a British colonial encounter in an exoticized landscape, complete with palm trees and natives on the shore. The figures are rendered through the lens of European romanticism, which obscures the harsh realities of colonialism. While seemingly benign, these kinds of images played a crucial role in shaping European perceptions of the world and in justifying imperial expansion. They are a reminder of how everyday objects can carry potent ideological messages, subtly reinforcing hierarchies and narratives of dominance. The dish invites us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves about history, and how these stories are embedded in the objects we live with.