Plate 1793 - 1800

Editor: Here we have an earthenware plate, dating roughly from 1793 to 1800, currently residing at The Met. It looks so…humble. Almost ordinary. What strikes you about something as simple as this? Curator: You know, it’s easy to overlook everyday objects like this. But I see it as a kind of portal. Think about it – who used this plate? What were they eating? What conversations unfolded around it? Each imperfection, each slight scratch tells a story. It is history we can grasp, quite literally! The simple rim and design whisper volumes of a lost dinner party perhaps, or a simple supper between family during troubled times. What do you imagine filling this? Editor: Gosh, maybe some hearty stew? It feels very… rustic, almost utilitarian. I am just curious, would it have any artistic value beyond being an object? Curator: Value is such a fascinating concept, isn't it? Its beauty comes not just from craftsmanship, though the evenness is noteworthy, but in its evocative power. This plate reminds us of the intimate, human experiences woven into the grand tapestry of history. It forces a question, if every day lives add colour to bigger world wide, can art reflect bigger things by studying such modest works of craftmanship? Editor: So it's more than just a plate – it's a piece of social history, a frozen moment of everyday life! I had never thought about it that way. Curator: Exactly. See, even the simplest things can be quite profound. Editor: That’s given me a completely different perspective! I’ll never look at pottery the same way again. Curator: That is wonderful. Every object, from the grandest sculpture to the humblest plate, has a tale to whisper if we simply listen.