Art Institute of Chicago

Othello Plaque

Designed and modeled by J.C. Meyenberg (American, late 19th–early 20th century)

Date

1884

Medium

Earthenware and glaze

Culture

Cincinnati

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Seen as exotic, Islamic-style decorative motifs enjoyed great popularity in the United States in the 1880s, and William Shakespeare’s play Othello offered a famous example of a Moorish subject. Created by Rookwood Pottery, one of the earliest art pottery makers in the United States, this rare plaque may have been commissioned to commemorate a local production of the play. Alternatively, it might reflect the well-described popularity of Shakespeare in 19th-century America. The designer evoked the main character’s Moorish origins by inscribing his name in pseudo-Arabic script and using concentric bands of stylized foliate and calligraphic motifs reminiscent of Islamic architectural decoration.

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