For the Love of Wedgwood

It was love at first sight.

There I stood, in front of a fine plate display, finishes glowing under special spotlights, feeling as if I'd discovered the Holy Grail of all dishware. I was young and it was then, and there, I declared my undying devotion to Wedgwood. My first real plate "crush" was on Cavendish, a now discontinued pattern, and simultaneously claimed this my official wedding pattern, to whom, or whenever, the occasion came. I fell hard, people. I fell hard.

About 10 years later, box after glorious box of Cavendish began to arrive from London, where a Great Uncle ordered every piece imaginable in the pattern from our family and friends. To this day (I won't say how many years later), I might consider parting with one or two of my other Wedgwood patterns, but never, ever the Cavendish.

The stately and true, dark Navy blue border, dignified scallop shell and gold band, is imbued with a timeless, elegant simplicity that still keeps my interest and, enduring, respect.

While the Cavendish was my official wedding pattern, it was not, in fact, the first Wedgwood pattern that began my collection. In addition to collecting Jasperware, primarily in soft, sage green (although, I have other colors, including lavender, brown and teal, in addition to the classic blue and white), my first, ever, pattern was a small collection of April Flowers. The glaze, and the near-transparent sheerness of the tiny blossoms sprinkled onto it, reminded me of the Forget-Me-Nots that lined the creek next to my grandmother's house. This pattern is pure fairy garden magic. The Scottish lace table linens, complete with lavender thistles, I acquired, were a perfect compliment to my dreamy, and very girly, Wedgwood dinner and luncheon plates. I also acquired a few pieces of server ware the swirls of which create a dynamic vignette on the table.

Three generations of women before me collected, used and showcased, their service in various china cabinets. The hot chocolate set of my maternal great grandmother's, from Japan, maintained a place of honor in my mother's home. Tea sets, dessert plates with tiny hand-painted rosebuds, the various glazes on the Limoges and Lenox, all tell a story, not just of the pieces themselves, but of the era in which they were most desired - the trends and taste of the time. In a sense, the collections I look through now are a collective porcelain diary of my family - their personal preferences, and so much more.

The "grandmillennial" movement that began a few years ago has given new life to Wedgwood, Limoges, Villeroy & Boch, Mottahedeh and Lenox among other traditional fine porcelain manufacturers. Websites such as Replacements.com, auction sites (eBay) and antique stores are experiencing a new audience and appreciation as the "hunt" is on for classic favorites. 

Generations have been loving Wedgwood for nearly three centuries. This concept of quality, tradition, and adaptability is lost in the chaos of contemporary life and the modern marketplace where most everything we own, like or desire is ephemeral. Josiah Wedgwood I, at just 29 years old, was an independent potter who began the Wedgwood legacy in 1759. My husband can thank him for the cabinet space completely dedicated to various pieces, five sets in all - plus random accent pieces which caught my eye.

My third pattern was originally introduced in 1908, and I found it in a circular for Woodward & Lothrop, a former beautiful department store in the Washington, DC area. Edme is made from Queensware, a cream-colored earthenware. In researching for this article, I discovered it was created by Wedgwood art director, John Goodwin, at the time, commissioned by French architect and designer Dannier Frères. The ribbing around the pattern reflects architecture popular during that time. I enjoy it because it is easy to pair with other creamware pieces of Wedgwood, like Patrician. This set was used for at least twenty years for our everyday dishware - and I've a special fondness for the shape of the cups.

While the Edme is a traditional creamware, it is not the crisp, clean white I longed to pair with deep blues for a coastal feel. I, eventually, found the perfect, bright, pure translucent white in HomeGoods. I play a great game of "I Spy" when it comes to fine finishes on porcelain. My eye is trained to identify that signature Wedgwood glaze nearly 100 percent of the time. Along with predicting new chart-busting musical hits, I wish I could parlay this skill into a money stream. Alas, all it has done is cost me a small investment! In identifying the glaze of a set of dishes tucked on a lower shelf, then confirming the maker, I walked out of the store with 10 dinner plates - it's all I wanted of the Intaglio design -  it is crisp, white, and classic - everything I hoped for in a new white plate to offset my coastal blue and whites.

But, alas, this would not be my last and final dinner plate purchase of Wedgwood. One crisp, sunny Saturday, while traveling in Maryland, I attended the HD Marigold fall market just outside Baltimore, where self-discipline is left in the car. That year, I scored major design elements to match my MacKenzie-Childs Christmas wreath from designer, Andrea Stieff -- but just two tables away was a pattern I've been fawning over for a few years. My husband isn't much for initiating interventions and, so, with his enabling, I bought every dinner plate those dealers brought with them. They were, sincerely, a great bargain (and, unfortunately, I cannot remember what that means - I was in a fugue state).

My advice is: buy what you love! I absolutely do not need all of this china - but knowing it is here, and it's mine, reminds me so much of my mother and her favorite china patterns. The etched Fostoria goblets she brought out every year, the holly-sprinkled Lenox she couldn't wait to use every Christmas and the care in which she chose her table linens is firmly planted in my happiest memories.

If you are looking for ideas on what to do with inherited china (other than sell to an equally enthusiastic collector), I suggest:

• following accounts on Instagram and Pinterest where "tablesettings" and "tablescapes" are a primary focus
• understand your style: if strict formality is your entertainment style, you'll want to keep your sets uniform. If color and pattern play are more fun for you, mix what you love
• stopping on road trips to explore out-of-the-way antique and vintage shops - you never know what you will come across
• checking Facebook Marketplace and type in the search engine what you're hunting for by way of maker and pattern
• joining Facebook groups that give advice on everything from how to care for your china, inspirational photos, and great advice on storage, care and repair

For Thanksgiving, I'm integrating my paternal grandmother's fall dishes, my modern leopard print dishes from Ballard Designs and my Thanksgiving Spode. My vintage hand-painted water goblets, festooned with acorns and autumn leaves are by Tracy Porter are another nod to whimsy in a not-so-formal tablescape. If you would like to have a peek next week - be sure to stop by the Magnolia Blue Southern Coastal Living Facebook page! If I did not own the Thanksgiving Spode, I would, as in years prior, be using any one of my fabulous sets!

If you love what you have, chances are your pieces will blend harmoniously - just as interior designers tell you about your furniture choices. I have Wedgwood Patrician dessert plates in the most beautiful sage green - which I picked up in North Carolina post-vacation in the Outer Banks - that compliment three different sets of my Wedgwood patterns. 

Happy feasting, and collecting, y'all! Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!