Majolica Oyster Plate

Victorian

Circa 1880–1890 | France

A rare and exceptional antique nineteenth century French majolica oyster plate. Beautifully modelled and coloured in naturalistic browns, sea blues and yellow with six oyster shaped wells and a central lemon sauce well. An oyster plate as popular today as it was when it was first made (see The Gen).

DIMENSIONS: Diameter 22.3 cm.

SIGNATURES, MARKINGS & INSCRIPTIONS: Impressed 693 and marked N. Unknown maker.

CONDITION: The plate is in excellent condition with wear consistent with an antique age and use. There is no evident restoration.

REFERENCES: For an example of a similar plate see Collecting Oyster Plates, Jeffrey B. Snyder, Schiffer Publishing, 2002, p. 131.

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THE GEN

“Majolica ware offer us today a glimpse into the fascinations, humors, and culinary delights of the Victorian era. The increasingly varied Victorian diet is well represented in majolica dish forms. The passion for oysters, for example, more readily available at the market place with improvements in transportation technology, is evident in majolica oyster plates fashioned as replicas of the food itself. For a Victorian diner eating from majolica, if the food was unidentifiable, the dish could reveal in no uncertain terms what was set upon it.” (Majolica: American and European Wares, Jeffrey B. Snyder, Schiffer Publishing Co, 1994, p. 8)

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