Platter
Unknown Artist
ca. 1760
Medium
Creamware
Dimensions
Overall: 11 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. (24.1 × 28.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Russell S. Carter, 1944
Accession Number
44.39.26
Art Historical Context
This elegant creamware platter, crafted around 1760 in Staffordshire, England—the epicenter of British pottery production—exemplifies the innovative spirit of 18th-century ceramics. 11⅛ × 9½ inches, this oval dish from an unknown artist's hand was designed for everyday dining, yet its refined cream-colored glaze and sturdy earthenware body made it a staple in middle-class households. Staffordshire potters pioneered creamware in mid-1700s, refining lead-glazed earthenware to mimic pricier Chinese porcelain at a fraction of the cost. Creamware's historical significance lies in its democratizati...