Oyster Plate

Porcelain factories responded to the American passion for oysters by designing special plates on which to serve the delicacy, accompanied by silver-plated forks also designed for the purpose. During the long and lavish dinners characteristic of evening entertainment among the wealthy on the East Coast in the 1870s and 1880s, guests were frequently served their first course on oyster plates such as these gilded examples produced by the Union Porcelain Works, in Greenpoint, New York, around 1881. American and European porcelain factories met increasing affluence and elaborate dining etiquette with an extensive range of items designed for specific foods and beverages. Oyster plates represent one such refinement in response to a newly acquired taste for the shellfish.

ID Number:

CE*75.123H

Maker:

Union Porcelain Works

Place Made:

Greenpoint, New York

Material:

ceramic, porcelain, hard-paste

Date:

about 1881

Dimensions:

8 5/8 in.; 21.9075 cm