Plate

Arts of the Americas

1780–1820

Artist unknown (American, 18th–19th century)
Pennsylvania German

Unlike the Art Institute’s plate by Rudolph Drach (see 1907.122) on which the maker inscribed his name, many objects in the Pennsylvania German tradition are unmarked, obscuring authorship for subsequent generations. Creamy white slip (which appears yellow due to the lead glaze on top of it) was applied to the surface of this plate, onto which sgraffito decoration was incised. The addition of lightly applied copper oxide created green accents across the plate. Pennsylvania German vessels are further characterized by bold designs of tulips, stars, and hearts. This octagonal plate incorporates another tradition motif—the stylized pomegranate.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: Artist unknown
Title: Plate
Place: Pennsylvania (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. 1780–1820
Medium: Earthenware
Dimensions: 3.2 × 23.5 cm (1 1/4 × 9 1/4 in.)
Credit Line: Atlan Ceramic Club Fund
Reference Number: 1923.313
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/8369/manifest.json

Frances Lichten, Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania (New York: 1946), 24 (ill.).
Judith A. Barter and Monica Obniski, For Kith and Kin: The Folk Art Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2012), no. 6.

Art Institute of Chicago, Photography + Folk Art: Looking for America in the 1930s, Sept. 21, 2019–Jan. 19, 2020, no cat.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

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.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

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.

Extended information about this artwork

Publication History

Exhibition History

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

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.