Plate

Art Historical Context

This elegant porcelain plate, created around 1900 by Théodore Haviland, exemplifies the refined artistry of European applied arts at the turn of the twentieth century. Measuring just one inch in height and nearly ten inches across, its modest scale suggests it was designed as a decorative or dessert dish, meant to delight both the eye and the table. Haviland, part of a renowned family of porcelain manufacturers based in Limoges, France, helped bring high-quality ceramic production to international audiences during an era when fine dining and decorative objects reflected personal taste and social status. The plate’s medium—porcelain adorned with polychrome enamels and gilding—highlights the technical mastery of the period. Multiple layers of vibrant, hand-applied colors create lively patterns, while delicate gold accents add a touch of luxury and light. Such techniques required skilled artisans to fire the piece multiple times, ensuring the enamels fused perfectly with the translucent porcelain body. As a work in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Applied Arts of Europe collection, it offers visitors a glimpse into how everyday objects became vehicles for artistic expression in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.