Thomas C. Smith (American, 1815–1901). <em>Oyster Plate</em>, patented January 4, 1881. Porcelain, 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 in. (1.9 x 21.9 x 16.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 66.182. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 66.182_PS9.jpg)

Thomas C. Smith (American, 1815–1901). Oyster Plate, patented January 4, 1881. Porcelain, 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 in. (1.9 x 21.9 x 16.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 66.182. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 66.182_PS9.jpg)

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What can you tell me about this plate?

That's an Oyster Plate from the late 19th century. Made in Greenpoint New York. It features a beautiful polychrome decorations and intricate sculpting.

Is there an artist name?

It was manufactured by Union Porcelain Works. Which was the foremost porcelain maker in American from 1862 to 1922 and is actually credited with manufacturing the first American oyster plates. Many artists likely worked to create this piece from mould makers, glaze artists and craftsmen specializing in operating kilns. The Union Porcelain Works employed up to 200 people around the time this oyster plate was created.

Was this used for Oysters?

Yes! This is an oyster plate made here in Brooklyn at the Union Porcelain Works in 1881.

Oysters were enormously popular in 19th century-NYC. They were like pizza today, sold on every corner! They were also popular with the theatre-going crowd. In a way, before we were The Big Apple, NYC was The Big Oyster!

Oyster Plate

Decorative Arts and Design

DESIGNER Thomas C. Smith, American, 1815–1901

MANUFACTURER Union Porcelain Works, 1863–ca. 1922

MEDIUM Porcelain

Place Manufactured: Brooklyn, New York, United States

DATES patented January 4, 1881

DIMENSIONS 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 in. (1.9 x 21.9 x 16.8 cm) (show scale)

MARKINGS On underside: printed in yellow within urn, "UNION / PORCELAIN / WORKS / GREENPOINT / N.Y."; printed in green, "PAT. JAN. 4. 1881 / U.P.W. / [head of an eagle]"

SIGNATURE no signature

INSCRIPTIONS no inscriptions

COLLECTIONS Decorative Arts and Design

ACCESSION NUMBER 66.182

CREDIT LINE H. Randolph Lever Fund

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Oyster plate with polychrome decoration. Large clam shell-shaped plate with five smaller shell-shaped depressions. Four of the small shells are oyster shells outlined in black, with black and yellow form in center. The fifth is a scallop shell, outlined in gold. Decoration around all shell-shaped depressions consists of seaweed, snails, mussels, lobster claws, small crab, etc. Ground color seen around rim is light pink. CONDITION: Good.

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Thomas C. Smith (American, 1815–1901). Oyster Plate, patented January 4, 1881. Porcelain, 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 in. (1.9 x 21.9 x 16.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 66.182. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 66.182_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 66.182_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2013

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.