Plate. Series of chinoiserie; Alcora, First period 1735 - 1760.

Plate. Series of chinoiserie; Alcora, First period 1735 - 1760.
Ceramic.
Measurements: 34 (diameter) x 5 cm.

Dishes based on an ornamental pattern that extends throughout the piece, distributed in groups of small bouquets. In spite of the apparent randomness of the disposition of the flowers, these conserve a pattern based on symmetry. In the center, there is a scene with two herons.

It should be noted that the baroque-inspired floral ornamentation and the presence of blue indicate that this is a piece belonging to the first period of the Alcora royal manufacture, which was marked by the influence of the French masters. The Royal Factory of Alcora or Royal Factory of Earthenware and Porcelain was a royal manufactory created in 1727 in the town of Alcora, Castellón, on the initiative of Buenaventura Ximénez de Urrea, Count of Aranda, belonging to the enlightened governments of Charles III and Charles IV. The factory remained active until 1895, and was the first industrial pottery factory in the province, where there was already a long tradition of popular potteries. In its first period, until 1742, the factory produced mainly French-inspired pieces, derived from the Moustiers models, still baroque. In the second period, until 1798, the manufacture reached its peak and entered first into rococo and then neoclassicism. During this period, soft paste porcelain was produced, and emblematic series of the manufacture were produced, such as the Álvaro or the deception plates. The third period of the factory, already in the 19th century, is characterized by the unique production of earthenware and pipe earth, the introduction of patriotic motifs as a result of the War of Independence and the use of new decorative procedures such as intaglio.