About Pennsylvania German Plates

The Pennsylvania Germans were German-speaking immigrants from Europe who settled in southeastern Pennsylvania in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They are sometimes also called the Pennsylvania Dutch. Many Pennsylvania Germans were farmers and settled in the countryside, where rich red clay could easily be found. Some farmers became potters, creating clay plates like these that were displayed on mantelpieces or tables. Birds, hearts, tulips, and words were especially popular designs on these “show plates.” Often the designs are symmetrical, identical on the right and left sides or on the top and bottom.