Plate 1728 - 1739

This porcelain plate was created by the Meissen Manufactory. The striking feature is the dramatic contrast between the stark white background and the elaborate crest rendered in dark shades. The composition is meticulously balanced; a circular plate holds a heraldic emblem, positioned centrally, crowned with elaborate filigree and flanked by symmetrical ornamentation. This creates a hierarchy of form that draws the eye inward. Consider the formal implications of placing such an ornate design on a functional object. The very act of eating from this plate becomes a performative engagement with aristocratic symbolism. The piece transcends mere utility, transforming into a complex signifier of power and social standing. The plate’s decoration can be seen not merely as surface adornment, but as a potent form of cultural coding, reflecting and reinforcing the values of its time. Art, like language, is a system of signs, and this plate speaks volumes about the world it inhabited.