Plate 1745 - 1775

Editor: This earthenware plate, likely created between 1745 and 1775 by a maker of Whieldon-type ceramics, really captures my attention with its earthy tones and marbled effect. The combination of dark brown, blue and green glaze seems so intentional. What stands out to you about it? Curator: Immediately, the marbled glaze evokes a sense of the organic – like looking at a geological formation. Note how the colors bleed and blend; it mirrors the unpredictable beauty of nature. This wasn't accidental; it's evocative of Rococo sensibilities which sought to imitate the asymmetry and dynamism of the natural world. Does the swirling remind you of anything specific? Editor: I can see what you mean about geological formations. It almost looks like a bird's eye view of a river delta. But, wouldn’t a functional object like a plate typically feature more deliberate, controlled imagery? Curator: True, we often associate utility with straightforward design. Yet, here, the marbling transforms something ordinary into something almost elemental. Everyday life is now subtly associated with sublime experiences within nature. Does seeing such an unpredictable pattern on a commonplace item challenge your ideas about art's function? Editor: It does, actually. It makes me think about how even mundane objects can carry deeper symbolic weight, and how tastes change. I never would have thought that something like this was high design back then. Curator: Precisely. Consider how a plate like this was perceived then versus now, what value judgments were involved, and whose gaze defined "taste". Food was also represented in very deliberate ways, how is its absence here a signifier of status, or function? Editor: That's a lot to chew on! It's fascinating to consider how an everyday object can reflect larger cultural trends. Curator: And, it is precisely through such objects that we uncover stories, values, and even aspirations of people across time. We, too, participate in such imitations and associations every day.