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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

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Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Plates
Dec 06, 10:00 AM EST
Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Plates
by Caza Sikes
Est: $100- $200
$1407 Bids
A LARGE PAIR OF ART DECO POTTERY CHARGERS, BY ALUMINIA, DENMARK
Dec 06, 9:30 AM GMT
A LARGE PAIR OF ART DECO POTTERY CHARGERS, BY ALUMINIA, DENMARK
by Elstob Auctioneers
Est: £300- £500
£2804 Bids
Susan Winget Rooster Themed Plates And Mugs
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
Susan Winget Rooster Themed Plates And Mugs
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$64 Bids
Vintage HOENIG OF CALIFORNIA POTTERY Turquoise/Aqua Apple Dishes/Bowls-MCM
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
Vintage HOENIG OF CALIFORNIA POTTERY Turquoise/Aqua Apple Dishes/Bowls-MCM
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$54 Bids
Vintage Bronze Toned John F Kennedy 14 Inch Plate With Mikasa Plate And More
Dec 04, 6:00 PM EST
Vintage Bronze Toned John F Kennedy 14 Inch Plate With Mikasa Plate And More
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$23 Bids
Bordallo Pinherio Portuguese Ceramic Rabbit Plate 8" X 13"
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
Bordallo Pinherio Portuguese Ceramic Rabbit Plate 8" X 13"
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$43 Bids
Pair of 18th Century Dutch Tin Glaze Plates,
Dec 06, 10:00 AM AEDT
Pair of 18th Century Dutch Tin Glaze Plates,
by Aalders Auctions
Est: AUD120- AUD220
AUD803 Bids
1940s Daisy Blue Luncheon Plate
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
1940s Daisy Blue Luncheon Plate
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$32 Bids
Vintage Yugoslavian Enamelware Handled Plates 6 Inches
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
Vintage Yugoslavian Enamelware Handled Plates 6 Inches
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$22 Bids
Block Gold Brown Chromatics Germany Ceramic Plates
Dec 05, 6:00 PM EST
Block Gold Brown Chromatics Germany Ceramic Plates
by Aether Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$32 Bids
VARIOUS COLLECTOR PLATES
Dec 07, 12:00 PM CST
VARIOUS COLLECTOR PLATES
by McCurley Auction Company
Est: $0- $0
$22 Bids
Set of 12 Anna Weatherley Colours Violet Scalloped Chargers
Dec 06, 10:00 AM PST
Set of 12 Anna Weatherley Colours Violet Scalloped Chargers
by Abell Auction
Est: $500- $700
$3002 Bids
Fürstenberg Flowers and Fruits 6 dessert plates and large splendor bowl, Dessertteller und Prunkschale,
Dec 09, 10:00 AM CET
Fürstenberg Flowers and Fruits 6 dessert plates and large splendor bowl, Dessertteller und Prunkschale,
by Antikauktion Krefeld
Est: €100- €0
€1001 Bid
Fürstenberg Fruits splendor bowl and plate, Obstmalerei Prunkschale und Teller,
Dec 09, 10:00 AM CET
Fürstenberg Fruits splendor bowl and plate, Obstmalerei Prunkschale und Teller,
by Antikauktion Krefeld
Est: €80- €0
€801 Bid
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6pc E.C.S. Porcelain Fruits and Flowers Tea Plates
Dec 05, 2:00 PM EST
6pc E.C.S. Porcelain Fruits and Flowers Tea Plates
by Lion and Unicorn
Est: $10- $200
$101 Bid
Five Richard Ginori Fish Plates
Dec 12, 10:00 AM EST
Five Richard Ginori Fish Plates
by Schwenke Auctioneers
Est: $200- $300
$501 Bid
Group of Antique Creil Transferware
Dec 06, 12:00 PM EST
Group of Antique Creil Transferware
by Old Kinderhook Auction Company
Est: $100- $200
$501 Bid
Konvolut von 16 Porzellanteilen
Dec 08, 10:00 AM CET
Konvolut von 16 Porzellanteilen
by Hampel Fine Art Auctions
Est: €30- €40
€301 Bid
STUDIO ART POTTERY CHARGER WALL PLAQUE SCULPTURE. RAISED LICHEN DESIGN. DIMENSIONAL.
Dec 05, 10:00 AM EST
STUDIO ART POTTERY CHARGER WALL PLAQUE SCULPTURE. RAISED LICHEN DESIGN. DIMENSIONAL.
by Uniques & Antiques
Est: $120- $200
$1001 Bid
Rainbow spatter plate, 19th c.
Dec 06, 9:00 AM EST
Rainbow spatter plate, 19th c.
by Pook & Pook Inc.
Est: $160- $200
$801 Bid
28" DIA LARGE ARTISAN STUDIO POTTERY CHARGER. GRAPHIC DESIGN. COMES WITH LARGE PLEXI STAND.
Dec 05, 10:00 AM EST
28" DIA LARGE ARTISAN STUDIO POTTERY CHARGER. GRAPHIC DESIGN. COMES WITH LARGE PLEXI STAND.
by Uniques & Antiques
Est: $80- $120
$501 Bid
United States Presidential Service Richard Ginori Porcelain Plate
Dec 19, 12:00 PM EST
United States Presidential Service Richard Ginori Porcelain Plate
by Akiba Galleries
Est: $50- $500
$251 Bid

Sellers Who Sell Ceramic Plates


Designer Homes of Central Florida

Designer Homes of Central Florida

Ansorena

Ansorena

Bonhams

Bonhams