Plate c. 1825

This plate was produced by the Staffordshire Potteries, utilizing the transferware technique. Transferware involves printing a design on paper, then transferring it onto the ceramic surface before firing. The deep blue decoration, achieved with cobalt oxide, is visually striking. The design on the plate depicts a landscape scene. The image is more than surface decoration, it is about industrialized production and consumption. These kinds of plates were produced in large quantities, making them accessible to a wide range of consumers during the 19th century. The process itself, transfer printing, was a technological innovation that allowed for mass production and dissemination of decorative images. The plate blurs the line between the functional and the decorative, and prompts us to consider how industrial processes can shape our everyday aesthetic experiences.