Earthenware Multicolor Plate

This colorful earthenware plate represents some of the first commercial European-style pottery made in early North Carolina. Created using traditional German Moravian techniques brought by settlers to the North Carolina backcountry, it transforms an ordinary household object into something delightful and decorative. Patterns were colorful, whimsical, geometric, and often personalized. Not every plate using these techniques was created by Moravian potters, as their designs inspired others in the area. This particular plate was probably made by Solomon Loy from Orange County.