Plate
Dateca. 1785
OriginEngland, London
MediumTin-glazed earthenware (delft)
DimensionsDIAM: 9 1/8"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1966-490
DescriptionPlate with incised foot ring. Bluish tin glaze decorated predominantly in blue; in the well, a hot air balloon rising above buildings and fencing; on the rim, floral swags and shell edging. Balloon outlined in manganese and shaded in mixed green.Label TextThis plate probably commemorates an early English balloon ascent from the London area in September 1784. Vincent Lunardi made several additional flights from this area the following year. An aquatint by F. Jukes depicting the Lunardi flight may have inspired the many surviving plates that show a balloon with "oars" in various settings.
The London attribution for the plate is based on the color and the subject of the decoration.
InscribedNo
MarkingsNo
ProvenanceKenneth Hammitt Antiques, Woodbury, CT
