Plate
c. 1790
Medium
Creamware
Dimensions
Diam.: 24.3 cm (9 9/16 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
2761
Art Historical Context
This elegant creamware plate, dating around 1790, offers a glimpse into the refined tableware of late 18th-century households in the Americas. Measuring 9 9/16 inches in diameter, it exemplifies creamware—a creamy white earthenware body coated with a lead-glazed tin oxide that mimics the look of fine porcelain at a more accessible price. Developed in England during the mid-1700s, most famously by Josiah Wedgwood creamware became a staple of transatlantic trade, flooding American markets and influencing local ceramics production. Its presence in the Arts of the Americas collection at the Art I...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...