Dessert Plate in the Polk State Service

This French porcelain dessert plate was made for the White House by Edouard D. Honoré of Paris in 1846. President James Polk ordered this pattern for the state service. The plate features a gilded rim molded in a scroll design and a light green border. At the top of the plate is a version of the shield from the Great Seal of the United States, although this one contains stars in the chief which are not present on the Great Seal or Presidential Seal, and the scroll containing the motto "E Pluribus Unum." The dessert plates also included a large flower, such as the poppy shown here.