Pair of 18th C. Greek Black Basalt Plates

These black basalt plates are part of the celebrated Pratt’s Greek series produced in England during the late 18th century, a high point of British neoclassical ceramic design. Executed in matte black body with crisp white relief, the compositions draw directly from Greco-Roman sculpture and engraved sources, translating antique figural language into refined domestic objects.

Each plate features a distinct classical scene—one a grouping of draped figures arranged in quiet procession, the other a dynamic male figural composition—both framed by a Greek key border at the rim. The sharp contrast of black ground and white relief reflects the period’s admiration for ancient Attic pottery and cameo carving, a visual vocabulary popularized through archaeological discovery and Grand Tour scholarship. 

Maker: Pratt & Co.
Series: Pratt’s Greek
Dimensions: Available upon request
Style: Greek Revival / Neoclassical
Materials & Techniques: Black basalt ceramic with applied white relief decoration
Place of Origin: England
Period: Late 18th century
Details: Greek key border; classical figural relief scenes