Loading Spinner

Ceramic Plates

From commemorative designs to delicate dining patterns, ceramic plates run the gamut of decoration and style. Tracing their origins to the world’s earliest cultures, ceramic plates have evolved as their own art form.

Plates and rudimentary platters have been a means of serving food for millennia, but it was not until the advent of porcelain that the notion of highly decorative ceramic plates came into consciousness. Porcelain ceramic plates were developed by the Chinese in the 7th century and extended to Europe more than 1,000 years later.

Elaborate motifs from stylized patterns to historic landmarks became the subject for these pieces, creating a visual tradition with both heritage and honed decorative skill. Today, the field of antique ceramic plates is so diverse that it is a collector’s paradise.


Quick Facts

  • Meissen was the first manufacturer in Europe to perfect the Chinese art of hard-paste porcelain.. A Meissen dinner service from the late 18th century including more than 60 plates and 6 platters sold at Christie’s New York for $197,900 in 2004
  • The world record for the largest ceramic plate was set in 2010 in Beirut, Lebanon. Weighing in at more than 9,500 pounds and just under 24 feet in diameter, the ceramic creation requires interior steel supports
  • Souvenir plates, or plates depicting specific landmarks, became popular in the United States at the end of the 19th century. These pieces were so popular that influential ceramic manufacturers including Homer Laughlin and Wedgwood made their own variations

Recommended Items at Auction

See all items

bp parity badge
Williams Sonoma Famille and Famille Rose Dinner Plates 10.75”
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Williams Sonoma Famille and Famille Rose Dinner Plates 10.75”
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$135 Bids
PIERO FORNASETTI SEVEN WALL PLATES FOR FORNASETTI
Jul 21, 6:00 PM AEST
PIERO FORNASETTI SEVEN WALL PLATES FOR FORNASETTI
by Leonard Joel
Est: AUD1,400- AUD1,800
AUD1,5004 Bids
bp parity badge
Boleslawiec Polish Pottery Deviled Egg Plate with Handle
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Boleslawiec Polish Pottery Deviled Egg Plate with Handle
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$94 Bids
Prato em faiança portuguesa, do séc. XVII. Diam. aprox.: 31 cm.
Jul 22, 7:00 PM WEST
Prato em faiança portuguesa, do séc. XVII. Diam. aprox.: 31 cm.
by Palácio do Correio Velho
Est: €100- €200
€1203 Bids
bp parity badge
Nathalie Lete Qui Black Poodle Dog and a Handmade Compote x 10 in. (x 25.4 cm.)
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Nathalie Lete Qui Black Poodle Dog and a Handmade Compote x 10 in. (x 25.4 cm.)
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$93 Bids
AMERICAN SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATE.
Jul 25, 10:00 AM EDT
AMERICAN SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATE.
by Amelia Jeffers
Est: $100- $200
$603 Bids
bp parity badge
Turkey Plates, Maruta Ware
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Turkey Plates, Maruta Ware
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$73 Bids
Lot of 12 French green and white oyster plates
Jul 19, 10:00 AM EDT
Lot of 12 French green and white oyster plates
by King Galleries
Est: $300- $450
$3753 Bids
Mulberry: (2) Hibiscus 9" Plates
Jul 26, 1:00 PM CDT
Mulberry: (2) Hibiscus 9" Plates
by Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company
Est: $100- $200
$502 Bids
bp parity badge
blauer Teller mit Blüten-Relief, D-22 cm
Aug 01, 12:00 PM CEST
blauer Teller mit Blüten-Relief, D-22 cm
by Auktionshalle Cuxhaven
Est: €0- €0
€102 Bids
bp parity badge
BLACK KNIGHT ENCRUSTED GOLD AND NAVY DINNER PLATES
Jul 19, 1:00 PM EDT
BLACK KNIGHT ENCRUSTED GOLD AND NAVY DINNER PLATES
by Manor Auctions
Est: $250- $500
$2502 Bids
bp parity badge
Set or Child's Mulberry Transferware Hey Diddle Diddle Nursery Rhyme Dishes
Jul 27, 4:00 PM CDT
Set or Child's Mulberry Transferware Hey Diddle Diddle Nursery Rhyme Dishes
by Asselmeier May Auctions
Est: $200- $250
$602 Bids
bp parity badge
Emma Bridgewater Salad Plates 8 1/2 in. (x 21.6 cm.)
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Emma Bridgewater Salad Plates 8 1/2 in. (x 21.6 cm.)
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$102 Bids
THREE GREG SHOONER SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATES.
Jul 25, 10:00 AM EDT
THREE GREG SHOONER SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATES.
by Amelia Jeffers
Est: $100- $200
$602 Bids
Lot of 12 French oyster plates with platter
Jul 19, 10:00 AM EDT
Lot of 12 French oyster plates with platter
by King Galleries
Est: $400- $550
$2252 Bids
Prato em faiança portuguesa. Decoração "aranhões" em tons de azul e vinoso com cão ao centro.
Jul 21, 7:00 PM WEST
Prato em faiança portuguesa. Decoração "aranhões" em tons de azul e vinoso com cão ao centro.
by Palácio do Correio Velho
Est: €500- €1,000
€5502 Bids
PENNSYLVANIA SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATE.
Jul 25, 10:00 AM EDT
PENNSYLVANIA SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE PLATE.
by Amelia Jeffers
Est: $400- $800
$2002 Bids
Lot of 36 pieces French Martre Tolosane faience
Jul 19, 10:00 AM EDT
Lot of 36 pieces French Martre Tolosane faience
by King Galleries
Est: $700- $900
$4502 Bids
bp parity badge
Nicholas Mosse Pottery 3.5”
Jul 21, 6:00 PM EDT
Nicholas Mosse Pottery 3.5”
by Apple Tree Auction Center
Est: $0- $0
$72 Bids
Jadeite Plates & Dish
Aug 04, 6:00 PM EDT
Jadeite Plates & Dish
by Atlee Raber Auctioneer
Est: $0- $0
$51 Bid
bp parity badge
2x Bildteller, Saargemünd, älter, ca. D-19,8cm
Aug 01, 12:00 PM CEST
2x Bildteller, Saargemünd, älter, ca. D-19,8cm
by Auktionshalle Cuxhaven
Est: €0- €0
€51 Bid

Sellers Who Sell Ceramic Plates


Apple Tree Auction Center

Apple Tree Auction Center

Palácio do Correio Velho

Palácio do Correio Velho

Auktionshalle Cuxhaven

Auktionshalle Cuxhaven

Robinhood Auctions

Robinhood Auctions