Plate c. 1775

This creamware plate of unknown origin is held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The items, made as a set, evoke the rituals of dining. In many ways, the concept of the 'table' has historically operated as a site for society's dramas to unfold. These creamware pieces are an example of the global trade and exchange that defined much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The fact that the maker of this plate is anonymous speaks volumes about labor, craft, and gender during this period, where the contributions of women and marginalized communities were so often rendered invisible. The objects represent a shared cultural memory and how something as simple as a plate can be a powerful reminder of social history. What do you bring to the table? And who gets to sit at it?