Plate 1758 - 1770

This plate was manufactured at the Veuve Perrin Factory in Marseilles, France. Ceramics are revealing cultural objects. Porcelain plates like this one, decorated with roses and ribbons, were part of a visual culture consumed by an elite class. During the 18th century, France was in a state of social and political upheaval, and luxury items such as these plates were potent symbols of aristocracy. The factory system itself, where women like Veuve Perrin took leading roles, speaks to early forms of industry and labor. Historians are interested in the ways in which porcelain factories helped to shape French identity, and how trade networks spread French aesthetics abroad. By studying objects like this plate, we come to understand the complex relationship between art, commerce, and social class. Through close study of archival material and surviving objects, we can understand the place of luxury goods in the making of modern social life.