Dan's Papers - October 30, 2009 - Antiques: Porcelain, Pottery and More

With the holiday season just around the corner, it is a perfect time to pull out your vintage collections of porcelain from the dark corners of your cabinets, dust them off and let them shine center-stage for everyone's enjoyment. I like to mix and match my antique and vintage plates with modern china. By combining various styles of porcelain and pottery, this layered effect adds special warmth to a holiday table. A beautifully arranged table can set the tone for a wonderful holiday meal. This season is one of the only times I proclaim that "more is better" in terms of decorating the dinner table. While in the summer months, my style is to let the simple beauties of nature speak for themselves, during the winter holidays I often add vintage table linens and runners, cornucopias of fruit and vegetables as centerpieces, and either a parade of small votive candles or tall candelabras to add that special glimmer and sense of wonder.

If you are in need of a few unique pieces to add to your collection, the best place to find quality wares is at a local antique fair. I often visit antique shows when they come into town, either in the early morning or at the end of the day, when business is slowest. I ask questions and gently handle the goods, because this is the best way to learn about a particular pattern. People who work in the collectibles business are in it "hook line and sinker" and their lives often revolve around a love for and expertise in these timeless possessions. Many antique vendors travel all year from one show to another. If you hang around the booths at the high-end markets, you can learn much. These professionals are usually quite willing to share their knowledge, and although they are hawking their products, many will linger if sales are slow to chat about their collections and share with you tales of their hunt. You will soon learn that what drives these folks to pursue this career choice is often a passion for history and collecting.

There are many vintage and antique patterns to collect. I happen to love anything made by the French company Limoge, but I also adore Spode patterns as well. I like Danish and English porcelain, and of course, the vintage American styles from the World War II era have a simple elegance that is truly unique. I have been collecting Blue Willow porcelain for over a decade and at every show I attend, I hunt for the distinctive blue and white pattern in the hopes of adding to my collection. Blue Willow was produced in many countries, and although originally made in England in the late 1700's, those earlier styles are the most expensive. I try to look for Johnson Brothers pieces, which were made in the United States and tend to be more affordable. Some of my Blue Willow is Danish, some American from the 1940s, and a few are from the early 1800s, but I am more careful with these older collections and hang them on my kitchen wall for display to preserve them. Almost every porcelain house made its own version of this style, but there is a distinct look to this pattern, with the "two doves" motif always flying above a large Chinese dwelling flanked by trees, a bridge and other details.

Researching the history of a style can be fun and the more you know about what you are collecting, the more interesting it becomes. I learned about the tragic, romantic legend behind the Blue Willow pattern and now that I have this story indelibly etched in my mind, the style holds special meaning for me. The story is of two faithful lovers. On each piece is a magnificent tree-lined Chinese dwelling, which is the home of a Mandarin man. His secretary Chang had fallen in love with his daughter, Koong-see, and they met clandestinely until the man discovered the affair and forbade the two to be together. He ordered the young man banished, while forcing his daughter to stay hidden in their home, and betrothed her to a wealthy viceroy named Ta-jin. The wedding was planned when the peach tree blossomed in the spring.

While Koong-see awaited her wedding day, she found a coconut shell floating in the waves of the pond with a note from Chang threatening suicide. She responded with a note and Chang took his cue once the nuptials began, slipped into the house. The two eloped, escaping in a boat in the rushing tide of the Yangtse River. They bought an island with Ta-jin's jewels and settled into a new home. Several years elapsed and Chang prospered by tilling his island but when he wrote a novel, it attracted the attention of Ta-jin. With a military escort, Ta-jin vowed revenge on Chang for stealing his bride and jewels, and attacked the island and mortally wounded Chang. In desperation, Koong-see set fire to the house and perished in the flames. The porcelain depicts the legend of the pitying gods who transformed Koong-see and Chang into two immortal doves that grace the top of each blue and white plate. The scene plays out the tale of this tragic love story. The next time you pass an antique show or shop, you may want to peek inside and check out the gems that sometimes lay hidden on the tables. A few carefully selected items have the power to transform your table into a special event while providing you with interesting stories steeped in legend to share with your friends and family during this holiday season.