Illinois Plate

c. 1878–89

Decorated by Joseph S. Potter (American, 1822–1904)

Joseph S. Potter served as a diplomat and United States Consul in Germany. There he embraced the hobby of china painting after noticing women in the consulate taking lessons and later visiting the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Potter painted a series of “states” plates, including this Illinois plate, which is decorated in colored enamels, glazes, gold, and silver. Inside the gold patterned cartouche is a bald eagle against rays of sunshine. In its beak it carries a band inscribed with the Illinos state motto, “State Sovereignty, National Union.” In the late 19th century, when such pieces were at the height of their popularity, these plates would have been displayed in china cabinets alongside other prized possessions.

Status: On View, Gallery 176
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: Joseph Potter (Decorator)
Title: Illinois Plate
Place: United States (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: c. 1878–1889
Medium: Porcelain, enamel, and glaze with gilding
Dimensions: Diam.: 21.3 cm (8 3/8 in.)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Harry Root
Reference Number: 2011.270
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/212969/manifest.json

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.