Plate

Art Historical Context

This delicate porcelain plate, crafted by Cartlidge and Company between 1848 and 1856, exemplifies mid-19th-century Americanware production. Produced in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the firm was a leading innovator in the young U.S. ceramics industry, drawing inspiration from British Staffordshire potteries while adapting techniques for American markets. Measuring just over 1 inch in height and 7⅜ inches in diameter, likely a bread-and-butter or dessert plate, perfect for elegance in Victorian households. The plate's floral decoration—evident from its tagging—highlights the era's passion for nature-inspired motifs, achieved through transfer-printing or hand-painting on fine porcelain. This medium was prized for its translucency and whiteness, signaling refinement and prosperity amid America's growing middle class. Cartlidge's wares bridged utilitarian function with artistic appeal, competing with imports and fostering national pride in domestic manufacturing. Now in The Met's American Wing, gifted in 1988, this piece offers a glimpse into the optimism of the antebellum period, when floral designs symbolized abundance and the American dream. A charming survivor of daily life, it invites us to appreciate the artistry in the ordinary.