These started with my father, who asked me to make bread plates for his formal dinners. I gave him a circus.
Panem et circenses. Bread and circuses. A Roman poet wrote it down to describe his own people, who had handed away their vote and asked, in return, only to be fed and entertained. It is a phrase I grew up hearing in Italy, said with a shrug, because it never stopped being true of anyone. So I put it on a plate that holds a few crostini while everyone talks and is entertained.
Each plate carries a performer from the classical circus, drawn in black against the bare clay: the strong man and the strong woman, the elephant, the juggler, the snake charmer, the lion and his tamer. The words panem et circenses and a scatter of stars run around them. They are six inches, the size for an appetizer, a small dessert, or a side, and of course a party buffet.
The drawings are underglaze transfers and stencils, sealed under a clear glaze. Each one comes out a little different.
More in the journal.
A note on care:
Dishwasher and microwave safe. Full care notes here.
Where to find this work:
Currently sold at A.MANO in Prospect Heights.
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