Plate c. 1826

This blue and white transferware plate by James Clews from c. 1826, a type of ceramic decoration where a design is transferred from a paper to the ceramic surface, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The design features a central image of the White House, with allegorical figures representing liberty and freedom. The plate is decorated with a border of the 13 original colonies, and is an example of "historical" transferware, a popular genre in the 19th century.