Dining by Design: Nature Displayed on the Dinner Table

Exhibition Website

Apr 1 2018 - Jan 6 2019


From the 1600s to the present, dinnerware designs have been inspired by nature. Everything from painted butterflies and hand-modeled flowers to molded seashells can be found on a fascinating range of dishes and plates. 

Whether it’s a recipe for “Barbecued Fawn,” fabulous tureens in the shapes of various animals, or instructions on how to fold a napkin so that it resembles a palm tree, prepare to be delighted by this unusual, often humorous exhibition that lets you explore a visual feast of flora and fauna adorning hundreds of dazzling ceramics and table wares. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website
Image Courtesy, Winterthur. Earthenware (delftware) dish portraying tulips, probably London, England,  1670–90. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1954.538 
  • Decorative Arts
  • Ceramics / Porcelain / Pottery
  • Various artists

Exhibition Venues & Dates