Plate
ca. 1763
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Chelsea
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
X.3.27
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate from the Chelsea Por Manufactory, circa 1763, exemplifies pinnacle of mid-18th-century British artistry. Produced at one of England's earliest porcelain factories in Chelsea, London, it measures 9 inches in diameter and crafted from soft-paste porcelain—a innovative European substitute for rare Chinese hard-paste porcelain. This medium, blending white clay with ground glass and fired at lower temperatures, allowed delicate translucency and intricate detailing, marking a key advancement in British manufacturing during the "porcelain fever" sweeping Europe. Adorned with vibra...
About the Artist
Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory · 1744–1784
**Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory** The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory, Britain's pioneering porcelain enterprise, was founded around 1743 in Chelsea, London, by two Huguenot silversmiths: Nicholas Sprimont from Liège and Charles Gouyn. Sprimont, trained in Paris as a goldsmith before immigrating to England, brought his expertise in luxury metalwork to the venture, while Gouyn handled early sales th...