8" African-American dancers antique plate - crown & rope with "PR"

by Laura
(Martinez, CA)

I inherited this beautiful and unusual 8" plate from my mother-in-law many years ago. She lives in New York and I live in California.

I think she found it in a antique store. She would find these interesting treasures at the many antique stores in the Appalachian Mountains.

She passed it on to me as she knew that I appreciated antiques. It's kind of a lost art out here in California.

So I've been trying to find out more about my plate because the subject matter is so different.

There is a mark on the back with a crown on top and underneath is a pretzel shape of rope.

Directly under the crown are the letters "PR" and below that "PRIZE MEDAL" the date or # "1851" and a title "DANCING." There is a small #2 stamped next to it. There is a non-colored stamp of a an oval and I can make out a #7 in the middle and the rest is too hard to read.

Too many fine hairline cracks to read it, no matter how hard I try.

On the front is a scene with two African-Americans dancing, two nicely dressed people sitting and watching, one playing an instrument and another behind him. There are two small dogs in the foreground.

I would love to know more of the origins of this plate and where the scene is from.

Laura