Lozenge-shaped Dish c. 1800

This set of creamware dishes and serving pieces, decorated in green enamel, was produced by Wedgwood, probably sometime between 1759 and 1770. Wedgwood was an innovator in ceramic production in England, and the dishes on display here were aimed at a growing middle class that desired fashionable, but not overly expensive, goods. The green sprigged decoration on a cream-colored ground was a commercially successful design that offered a neoclassical update to traditional European and Asian ceramics. But its influence extended beyond the dinner table. Images of Wedgwood creamware appear in period paintings and prints, demonstrating its wide circulation and cultural cachet. These dishes helped shape domestic rituals in England. To further understand the function and meaning of objects like these, one could consult period trade publications and museum collection databases, finding information on the circulation of decorative objects across social classes. These objects are a testament to the intertwining of industry, art, and daily life.