Plate with peafowl

This plate belongs to a category of earthenware known as spatterware due to the appearance of the distinctive grounds used to decorate these objects. In most cases, the colored ground is achieve by blowing powder onto the clay body before firing; the irregular application creates the appearance of being sponged on. The plate’s decoration reflects a popular pattern and palette found on English spatterware, and the skillful execution of both the ground and the pea fowl mark it as a fine example of this type of ceramic. The sure handling of the lines of the pea fowl in particular and the vividness of the palette contribute to the visual appeal of the plate, and provide evidence as to why spatterware was widely acquired in nineteenth-century Britain.