19TH-CENTURY PORTUGUESE PLATE — COLOUR, GESTURE AND POPULAR SOUL 🌿💛

Some pieces enchant us precisely because of their freedom. This 19th-century Portuguese plate, in polychrome faience, has that spontaneous, almost pictorial strength that only popular ceramics can offer: a lively decoration made of movement, rhythm and colour.

I really love this vibrant palette — the warm yellow, the soft green, the turquoise blue, the brownish tones and the blue border that holds the whole composition together. There is something deeply modern in this ancient language: the gesture feels free, almost abstract, as if the piece had been painted with joy, speed and soul.

The marks of time, the wear on the rim and the small imperfections of the glaze do not diminish the piece — quite the opposite, they give it truth. It is a plate with history, presence and a very Portuguese beauty, perfect for a wall, a kitchen with character, a display cabinet or a composition of antique faience pieces.

Portuguese polychrome faience plate, 19th century.