Plate with "Disheveled Birds" (One of Thirteen)
ca. 1758–1769
Medium
ceramics
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Forsyth Wickes
Accession Number
1962-218-5
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate, titled *Plate with "Dishe Birds" (One of)*, hails from the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory one of England's pioneering porcelain factories active from 1745 to 1784. Produced around 1758–1769 the manufactory's esteemed Gold Anchor period, it exemplifies the height of British ceramic innovation. Chelsea's artisans mastered soft-paste porcelain—a delicate, creamy material blending clay, glass frit, and other ingredients—to mimic the translucent sheen of coveted Chinese and Meissen wares, making luxury tableware accessible to the British elite. The plate's central motif, "Dishev...