– Homewood House Museum will examine ceramics used by the historic house’s founding family, the Carrolls, during “Taste and Table: Ceramics in Early Maryland,” an exhibition opening on Friday, September 5, at the museum, located on the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, 3400 North Charles Street.

The opening will be marked with a reception from 5 to 7 pm on September 5. Admission to the reception is free. A catalog is also being published in conjunction with exhibition.

“Taste and Table: Ceramics in Early Maryland” will establish the types of ceramic tableware used at Homewood prior to 1832. Homewood was built by Charles Carroll as a wedding gift to his son and daughter-in-law in 1801. Included in the exhibition will be important ceramic objects with early Maryland histories. Many of the ceramics were originally owned by the Paca, Chase and Stone families, whose patriarchs, along with Carroll, were the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Led by Diana Edwards Murnaghan, guest curator and ceramics scholar, “Taste and Table: Ceramics in Maryland” will include ceramics on loan from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Hampton National Historic Site, Historic Annapolis Foundation, The Londontown Foundation, Mount Clare and numerous private collections.

Examples of Chinese export porcelain, tin-glazed earthenware, salt-glazed stoneware, English pearlware, creamware, mocha ware, porcelain, basaltwares and French porcelain will help illustrate the vast array of ceramics popular in early Maryland. Ceramics such as a set of figurines and a plateau for the dining table from Wye House outside Easton, Md., will be highlighted throughout Homewood House. Such objects were not only decorative but were also intended to help inspire erudite conversation at the dinner table.

A “Ceramics Discovery Day” symposium including gallery talks and verbal evaluation of visitors’ ceramics is being planned for October.

Details will be posted at www.jhu.edu/historichouses. For information, call 410-516-8647. The exhibition will be on display through November 30. After the opening, admission to Homewood House Museum is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for students. Admission to view the exhibition only is $3.