Plate 1775 - 1800

This 18th-century earthenware plate, crafted by Pennsylvania-German potter John Leidy I, showcases the artistic traditions of early American folk art. Decorated in a distinctive style of sgraffito, a technique using scratching through a layer of slip to reveal the underlying clay, the plate features stylized floral motifs and an inscription in German script around the rim. These plates were commonly used in Pennsylvania Dutch households for everyday meals and hold a special place in American decorative arts history.