Sunday Favorites: Those French Plates

I'm linking up to Sunday Favorites over at Happy to Design
Come on over and join the fun!


Originally posted back in March of 2010


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This is an updated post on "Those French Plates"

which I first showcased back in early November. That's where the story starts, with
a reader providing me with an ID down in the comments section.  Several months
passed and then I threw a party called "April In Paris", that's what the update is about.

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Put on your party dresses and find your place card at my fantasy table!

(You might want to grab a cup of coffee or a cocktail.....this is a long post!)

Mother Nature cooperated with a nice Spring Rain to set the tone

for an "April In Paris" dinner party.

Dinner is served.

My bell was shown a few weeks ago in a post titled "Burlap With A French Twist"

Party favors for the ladies, the gentlemen will find vintage cuff links as their favors.

Below is one of the two new salad plates I was able to track down thanks to an ID by
a reader of The Little Round Table. The other six have been in my family for six decades.
You can read about them in the original post "Those French Plates"
and again in a follow up to that post
 "I should have taken French, not German and Spanish..."

The French antique dealer that I dealt with via eBay was just a dream to work with, as
we each struggled to communicate in an unfamiliar language.
The plates arrived beautifully packed and in under two weeks time!

He also included this lovely newly published book on collecting these pieces:

One of the two new plates is called "Le tonnelier" ("The Cooper") shown below.
Images of the original six plates can be seen on the post "Those French Plates"

And the second of the two new plates I have just added to the collection.
Do you see the garden "cloches" ???

It is called "Le galant jardinier" ("The Gentleman Gardener")

The salad plates are vintage faience by Utzschneider & Cie in Sarreguemines,

France, with artwork by Antoine-Albert Richard in a series called "Enfants Richard ."

The tin glaze used in faience (aka majolica in Italy) is actually a lead glaze that has

been rendered white and opaque by the addition of tin oxide. In the production process,
an unglazed article is fired in a kiln and is then dipped in the tin glaze, which is
allowed to dry. Designs are then painted on the glaze.

Love these vintage inspired napkins and @ $24 per dozen they are a bargain!

Meissen covered bowl, which was featured in a post last week

"Happy Anniversary Meissen" for Meissen's 300th Anniversary.

Homer Laughlin China Company jam pot.

The copper pieces are all vintage from my collection,

which was featured a few weeks ago on "Warm Wonderful Copper"

Porcelain large platter, probably French, but it could be German.

Milk pitcher by Homer Laughlin China Company.

French decorated fruit bowl is unmarked.

Vera Wang "Infinity" crystal.

The time passed much too quickly, the party is over and we bid Adieu to Paris until next time.

Throw your own French inspired dinner party and think of Paris in the Spring!