Dinner plate c. 1865

Curator: Here we have a dinner plate, part of a larger set produced around 1865 by Minton's Pottery and Porcelain Factory in England. It is a stunning example of ceramic work. Editor: It certainly is! The bright reds and gold detailing are quite eye-catching. There’s a real sense of opulent weight and, if I’m honest, a definite formality about the whole aesthetic. Curator: Absolutely, and Minton was producing for an expanding, newly moneyed middle class eager to display symbols of wealth. Look at the materials themselves: porcelain, of course, suggests refinement; then the gilded embellishments – they are about conspicuous consumption. Consider, too, the labor involved, each piece requiring skilled hands for molding, firing, and intricate decoration. Editor: And that decoration is itself referencing a complex cultural moment. Notice the tiny figures scattered within the circular borders. There's something very self-consciously 'classical' about them, pulling imagery from ancient Greece and Rome, empires built on power and legacy, mirroring Britain’s global ambitions at the time. Placing this kind of dinner service in a household elevates the family. Curator: Precisely. The rise of mass production shouldn't distract us from the continuing appeal of handmade effects, though! The consumer is buying not only functionality, but also the appearance of individually crafted quality. These objects circulated widely, adorning dining tables of both aristocrats and the aspiring bourgeoisies alike. Editor: They became powerful emblems of status, certainly. They served a symbolic purpose well beyond simply holding food! They represent how visual culture plays such an intrinsic part in how families curate the way in which they present themselves in the domestic setting, for visitors, potential partners and so on. Curator: And you can see how the designers at Minton masterfully blended mass manufacturing processes with hand-applied decorations to satisfy those markets, allowing them to produce ware in ever-increasing volumes, effectively embedding visual statements in an industrialized landscape. Editor: Yes. Ultimately this one dinner plate encapsulates shifting social hierarchies and Britain’s complex imperial project, captured in an object produced for the everyday sphere. Curator: A brilliant object of historical material. And beautifully crafted, indeed.