Plate (one of a pair) 1757 - 1780

Curator: This piece, known as a "Plate (one of a pair)", was created by the Tournai manufactory sometime between 1757 and 1780. You can currently find it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's made of delicate porcelain. Editor: My first thought? "Fancy." And perhaps, a tad melancholic. It’s undeniably elegant with the curving, fluted edge and the monochromatic bird illustration, but that grayscale palette feels muted. Curator: Well, porcelain in this period served a specific purpose—it was an undeniable status symbol, meant to showcase refinement and taste. Imagine it: perfectly arranged on a table, reflecting candlelight, part of a performance of wealth and power. Editor: Power dynamics definitely played a part. Porcelain production often relied on colonial exploitation for resources, and the artistic themes sometimes reflected orientalist fantasies that served to otherize non-European cultures. Curator: It's fascinating how an object meant to serve as a symbol of grace is actually laden with complexity! To me, the charm of the design lies in the contrast between the structured, almost mathematical repetition of the rim and the relatively freer forms of the bird. Editor: I think I'd be more drawn to this piece if there was more color; if there were other materials or forms. What does this decorative aesthetic conceal when so much social reality gets neatly tucked away in the corner of the gallery? Is that just a plate or a portal? Curator: A portal to the past! Isn't that what all these pieces are? I think, sometimes, that the objects don’t conceal as much as they witness. Editor: You're right, though, a witness isn’t necessarily innocent; perhaps it would do well to remember how a thing came into being so that it does not get repeated. Curator: What a lovely conversation this was—thank you for shining a light on a wider picture that this small plate presented. Editor: I appreciate the way you gently grounded us and opened our minds. It's all too easy to fall down some kind of philosophical rabbit hole.