The Farm: adventures of a Catholic family and their organic farm in Scotland
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Platter closeup photos...
The platter is 19" long by 14.5" wide. It's very thick and very heavy! And it is believed to be called, "Wren and Cricket." From the Georgian period. :-)
Very nice. I don't know who Spode was but this will be something to look into. I think the history of blue willow porcelain is an 'exotic' fascinating topic considering the influence of the China trade on English seafaring maritime merchants. As a matter of fact, Blue Willow was the name of a book I read as a young girl like Caddie Woodlawn and Ginger Pye, etc. that put me in touch with girls in the rest of the US (since I grew up in Alaska).
As an aside, I like to serve tea for my visitors, mostly family members. It isn't necessarily a 'party', but a tradition when family is on vacation, to have a time to sit mid-morning for a cuppa and daifuku, fruits, buckwheat poppyseed cakes, or other sweets such as sugar-free gelatin 'Knox Blox', or even cinnamon sprinkled zweiback.
We serve tea from sets I keep on the open shelf in the dining room. I used to have an electric kettle but the solids in our hard water mineralized the insides and it lost its heating functionality. The clay and porcelain sets are all 'cheap' ready-made, but have special and significant meaningfulness.
There is the tea set from my dear departed sister when we married in the 70s in a popular Japanese folk-style at the time in 'our' colors of brown and midnight blue to go along with the pottery we commissioned from Nancy Jacquot. (We had no money for anything else at the time, but we still have the hand-thrown platters, tiny bowls, and pitchers!) There is a tiny fat clay bluebird perched on an upturned cup.
Over the years, I purchased a set from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art of a copy of cracked turquoise from China to put in the cabinet when we began to use our front room as a parlor with its blue-green rug and pale blue-green table linens.
When my mother-in-law visited, we got a classic Japanese set in black and gold design sitting on top of a 'classic' black plastic laquered bento box.
There is the utilitarian white porcelain to 'go with' the white Corelle dinnerware that we use for everyday 'good'. They are displayed in front of a white-framed sample of peacock blue embroidered silk on the shelf. One Christmas when things were going well, I ordered some blue glass Bluebirds of Happiness from a glass factory in Tennessee, I think, and they are ready for flight next to the teacups.
When I was sick for a long time during winter months, I asked my husband to get something in bright yellow and we have Portuguese soup cups, saucers, and cups in brilliant sunshine yellow in the top of the shelf and a fat yellow British teapot sitting next to a skinny lighter mahogany coffeepot-shaped fireplace matchstick holder.
Later on, Pier One (import shop) where the bright yellow pot was found, had Brown Betties on sale, and I picked up a small pot. When it dropped and broke, I glued it together for a vase and found a larger Brown Betty. I haven't found brown teacups to match, but we use it for whatever cups we have on hand since it holds the heat so well for a larger group of tea drinkers and easily portable as I place it with a matching sugarbowl and creamer on a large brown plastic lacquered tea tray.
I find it amusing to think the British claim tea time. Even if the custom originated in China and Japan, there is something homey and warms the cockles of the heart about a mid-morning plate of cakes or cookies and a warm drink, whether a bright yellow mug-up or delicate Japanese tea bowls.
And, I imagine a lovely Yankee pot roast or leg of lamb served on Spode Blue Willow for Sunday dinner will evoke pleasant memories for your family.
Hey Michelle, how are you getting on? are you going to do an update on your diet? I am sure all your regualar readers are waiting with baited breath.
I would use that platter for a traditional sunday roast. meat slices in the middle and veggies around the outside. or a turkey platter.
we have a special platter we use for birthdays, xmas etc. and then a platter I picked up in Sainsburys in the sale after a christmas. plain white, turkey plate. I use this every sunday. £4. I use it ala Jamie oliver for salads also.
Hi! My name is Annie Edwards. I live in Riverside, California, USA. I've been following your blog and I have to say... I sure miss your postings. I pray you are doing well.
13 comments:
how did your new diet work out?
I've lost 2 inches so far :-)
Very nice. I don't know who Spode was but this will be something to look into. I think the history of blue willow porcelain is an 'exotic' fascinating topic considering the influence of the China trade on English seafaring maritime merchants. As a matter of fact, Blue Willow was the name of a book I read as a young girl like Caddie Woodlawn and Ginger Pye, etc. that put me in touch with girls in the rest of the US (since I grew up in Alaska).
As an aside, I like to serve tea for my visitors, mostly family members. It isn't necessarily a 'party', but a tradition when family is on vacation, to have a time to sit mid-morning for a cuppa and daifuku, fruits, buckwheat poppyseed cakes, or other sweets such as sugar-free gelatin 'Knox Blox', or even cinnamon sprinkled zweiback.
We serve tea from sets I keep on the open shelf in the dining room. I used to have an electric kettle but the solids in our hard water mineralized the insides and it lost its heating functionality. The clay and porcelain sets are all 'cheap' ready-made, but have special and significant meaningfulness.
There is the tea set from my dear departed sister when we married in the 70s in a popular Japanese folk-style at the time in 'our' colors of brown and midnight blue to go along with the pottery we commissioned from Nancy Jacquot. (We had no money for anything else at the time, but we still have the hand-thrown platters, tiny bowls, and pitchers!) There is a tiny fat clay bluebird perched on an upturned cup.
Over the years, I purchased a set from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art of a copy of cracked turquoise from China to put in the cabinet when we began to use our front room as a parlor with its blue-green rug and pale blue-green table linens.
When my mother-in-law visited, we got a classic Japanese set in black and gold design sitting on top of a 'classic' black plastic laquered bento box.
There is the utilitarian white porcelain to 'go with' the white Corelle dinnerware that we use for everyday 'good'. They are displayed in front of a white-framed sample of peacock blue embroidered silk on the shelf. One Christmas when things were going well, I ordered some blue glass Bluebirds of Happiness from a glass factory in Tennessee, I think, and they are ready for flight next to the teacups.
When I was sick for a long time during winter months, I asked my husband to get something in bright yellow and we have Portuguese soup cups, saucers, and cups in brilliant sunshine yellow in the top of the shelf and a fat yellow British teapot sitting next to a skinny lighter mahogany coffeepot-shaped fireplace matchstick holder.
Later on, Pier One (import shop) where the bright yellow pot was found, had Brown Betties on sale, and I picked up a small pot. When it dropped and broke, I glued it together for a vase and found a larger Brown Betty. I haven't found brown teacups to match, but we use it for whatever cups we have on hand since it holds the heat so well for a larger group of tea drinkers and easily portable as I place it with a matching sugarbowl and creamer on a large brown plastic lacquered tea tray.
I find it amusing to think the British claim tea time. Even if the custom originated in China and Japan, there is something homey and warms the cockles of the heart about a mid-morning plate of cakes or cookies and a warm drink, whether a bright yellow mug-up or delicate Japanese tea bowls.
And, I imagine a lovely Yankee pot roast or leg of lamb served on Spode Blue Willow for Sunday dinner will evoke pleasant memories for your family.
btw, I'm pretty sure that the pattern is Grasshopper, not Wren and Cricket:
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/spode-grasshopper-old-stone-mark-small-platter
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/SP_GRAB.htm
Really nice! I can feel the weight of the heavy platter! Reminds me of something from my childhood!
What's up with your lovely brood?
It is a gorgeous platter, I LOVE Spode! Will you use it or is it for display only? :)
Deffinately display only!
Oh Nooooo!!! I'm afraid I am one who buys gorgeous vintage stuff to use everyday! Life is for living!
And you Michelle, with your beautiful farmhouse and all your fancy dresses and headscarves would really do justice to such a fine piece! :)
Hey Michelle, how are you getting on? are you going to do an update on your diet? I am sure all your regualar readers are waiting with baited breath.
I would use that platter for a traditional sunday roast. meat slices in the middle and veggies around the outside. or a turkey platter.
we have a special platter we use for birthdays, xmas etc. and then a platter I picked up in Sainsburys in the sale after a christmas. plain white, turkey plate. I use this every sunday. £4. I use it ala Jamie oliver for salads also.
hope all is well. love to all
Where is Michelle and how are she and the littles doing?
Hey Michelle. Hows it going?
Strangely it is showing that you made a post 2 weeks ago and I followed the feed and I cant find it??? is my PC up the spout?
Thank you, Anonymous, for your lovely long comment :-)
Im alive, everyone. I just haven't been able to blog for a while. But I'm setting up a new blog!
:-)
Hi!
My name is Annie Edwards. I live in Riverside, California, USA. I've been following your blog and I have to say... I sure miss your postings. I pray you are doing well.
Blessings,
Annie Edwards
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