Octagonal plate
England
1795-1825
Measurements
3/4 in x 7-5/8 in x 7-5/8 in
Materials
Enameled and glazed white earthenware (pearlware)
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3577
Inscription
“B” is impressed into the center of the underside.
Condition Notes
The plate was broken into many pieces and has been glued together. The surface is scarred from use.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
The octagonal plate, with a molded and painted feather edge, has an eagle facing left (i.e., to its right) with a red, white, and blue shield. Such eagle emblems of the new nation vary considerably from one to another, but this example is quite eccentric. The eagle has compactly curved wings, and the tail is formed by a crude criss-cross of lines. The talons, intended to hold arrows and an olive branch, are essentially missing. A row of arrow-like motifs is on one side, and three leaves are on the other. Three sprays of flowers that encircle the symbol seem very out of place on this plate.
That there are fifteen stars in the field behind the eagle does not indicate a date between 1792 and 1796 when the country had fifteen states, as it did for some other similarly decorated objects. The number range of stars painted onto these types of eagle plates is simply too wide.
