Oyster Plate
Union Porcelain Works
Patented January 4, 1881
Medium
Porcelain and glaze with gilding
Dimensions
21.3 × 16.2 cm (8 3/8 × 6 3/8 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
219945
About the Artist
Union Porcelain Works · 1863–1922
Union Porcelain Works, established in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, in 1863, marked America's breakthrough in hard-paste porcelain production. Architect and builder Thomas Carll Smith (1815–1901) acquired the struggling factory from earlier owners like William Boch & Brothers after it faltered during the Civil War. In 1863, Smith traveled to Europe, studying porcelain techniques at the Manufactu...