Silver lining
Nothing cheers me up as much as a beautifully laid table. A table laid with care, with well made dishes, glasses and cutlery, is the setting for a beautiful meal. And did you know that one of the most important hormones for our mental wellbeing, oxytocin, is generated while eating together? That's why meals are such a cornerstone of our mental health; and friendships, love and business have always happened over meals.
Today I am showing you a wonderful dessert service that I came across and could not resist. It is made of pearlware, a beautiful, fine earthenware with a pearly glaze that gave it its name. The people selling said it's a mystery who had made it, but when I looked closer at the shape of the particularly the sauce tureen, it became obvious that this must have been made by John Rose at Coalport.
But wait... Coalport didn't make any pearlware, did they...?! No, that's right. Well, almost none. John Rose had bought the Caughley factory in 1799, and Caughley did make pearlware. They had the right kilns and probably also heaps of unused materials. So John Rose must have used that shortly after he bought the Caughley site and before he abandoned it only few years later, as he wouldn't have had the right kilns at the Coalport site.
The style is restrained Neoclassical: beautiful vines on a simple design of deep burnt orange. That orange colour is special: it was expensive because it needed gold in the enamel, which was then quite volatile in the kiln, so it was difficult to fire. As a result, all the items came out slightly different in colour, which I think is very charming! What is also special is the vines themselves: they are done in silver, not gold. And that was highly unusual, too.
This service has some wear and crazing, as to be expected of this material, and it has a few very minor flaws, but basically all items are in good condition and you could still use it if you wanted to (but I would advise against beetroot and other strongly coloured foods, as it might stain the crazed surface). And of course it is stunning on display - and a real collector's item!
Where to find things
You can find all my dessert services here, and you can find all my available stock here. If you always want to see the latest additions, follow me on Instagram... I post pictures and a story every single day.
Wish List ❤️
Don't forget, you can now create your own profile on the site and keep a wish list. Click on the Log In icon at the top right of each page.
Happy weekend, and remember there's always a silver vining! 🍇🍽🍇
This week's new treasures:
