Charger 1714 - 1727

This Charger was created by the Lambeth Potteries. The Charger, a handcrafted piece of earthenware, offers a window into the complex interplay of power, identity, and representation in the late 17th century. We see a figure adorned in blue and white armor, assumed to be King Charles II. During this time, visual culture was deployed as a tool to establish and maintain social hierarchies. The potter, a craftsman working within a specific social context, was tasked with producing an image of power. What does it mean to see royalty rendered in such a domestic form? How does the intimacy of the plate change the perception of the King? The plate is both a symbol of the era's hierarchical structures and a reflection of the personal and cultural values that shaped its creation.