Thank goodness for Christmas plates.
They’re not all to my taste, but they seem to be the most colourful thing anyone uses at the dinner table these days.
It’s a white-out, I tell you.
Even here in my own household, we tend to use plain white cups, saucers and plates, saving “the good stuff” for when the governor-general comes for dinner. But she still hasn’t visited, so you get the picture….
Whatever happened to dishes with patterns?
This gorgeous dish set – service for 8, along with completer items — was valued at nearly two thousand dollars (Canadian) in earlier years. Anne, an acquaintance of mine here in Ontario, is the owner and she is now downsizing.
For this beautiful Old Staffordshire Ningpo set, she is asking only $250. Will someone buy it?
Many North Americans considered themselves lucky if they inherited such prestigious dishes or got them as a wedding gift; some spent years scrimping and saving to complete the set.
So when did we lose our taste for the patterned Royal Doultons, the Limoges, the Royal Graftons and Alberts, the Villeroy and Bochs?
The floral patterns, the pastel colours, the much-valued blue-and whites?
When did white plates become de rigueur? When did we become such boring young and old farts?
One big problem now, it seems — as older generations downsize their homes — is that fewer people seem to want their treasures.
Tastes have changed. Become bland. Not only do most young adults I know want only plain white dish sets, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything with a pattern on their wedding registries.
Mind you, I do wonder why the earlier generations were so stuck on patterned plates. Was it for the art? Or was it because the meals they cooked were so boring, they needed a bit of cheering up? Did they find the roast chicken and the over-boiled vegetables, simply too depressing?
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If you want to buck the tide, visit Facebook Marketplace, ebay, Etsy or other online sites. You will find an abundance of beautiful patterned china, many at great prices. The pictures above came from Facebook Marketplace.
And if you’re interested in Anne’s gorgeous dinner set, contact me, please, and I’ll connect you with her.
Cynthia Reyes 