Plate (one of a pair)

Art Historical Context

This elegant plate, one of a pair produced by the Tournai factory in Belgium around 1762–70, exemplifies the height of 18th-century European ceramics. Crafted from soft-paste porcelain—a material blending clay with ground glass frit and fired at lower temperatures than true hard-paste—this8⅝-inch (21.9 cm) diameter piece was prized for its creamy white body and ability to rival finer French and German wares from Sèvres or Meissen. Tourn's factory, established in 1751, quickly gained renown for such tableware, blending technical innovation with luxurious decoration to appeal to aristocratic din...