One thing that I cannot get out of my mind since my conversation with designer Richard Nelson (he of the 1966 Christmas party fame; click here) is the idea of serving Chinese take-out on Chinese Export porcelain. Perhaps to some of you, it's not such a novel idea, but it is to me. People of my generation and those who are younger don't collect antique porcelain anymore. A shame, really, but understandable from an economic point of view. Collecting porcelain can be expensive! And try amassing enough to serve eight to ten people at a seated dinner. It's not impossible, but let's just say it's a challenge.
Famed Southern architect Philip Shutze was a great collector who owned that stash of blue and white Canton ware at top. He treated it as his everyday china. I like to think that perhaps he ate his morning toast or grits from it. I admire the fact that he didn't treat his porcelain as too precious to use- something that I'm sure I would be guilty of. And obviously Richard Nelson didn't think his porcelain too grand to serve Peking Duck and the like. That kind of casual attitude is impressive and something that I might need to work on.
I read somewhere that the late Manhattan caterer Donald Bruce White (he's the one seated at the head of the table) used antique Coalport plates at seated dinners. You see, when you do things like this, you end up with chic dinner guests who wear their fur hats at the table.
Gloria Vanderbilt entertains with this china that was used at The Breakers in Newport. (That's Cornelius Vanderbilt II's monogram in the center.) Do you think Anderson Cooper will someday follow in his mother's footsteps and entertain with it as well?
I can only assume that Alberto Pinto actually uses his antique porcelain for dining. God knows that he has enough of it. That wasn't a criticism, simply jealousy rearing its ugly head.
Diane von Furstenberg served a baked potato and caviar on 19th c. English china. Rich...on both accounts.
(Top image from: Philip Trammell Shutze Atlanta Classicist , Connoisseur, and Collector the Story of a Collection
I "inherited" a ton of Royal Copenhagen and Wm Yeoward and use it every day. Why not???
ReplyDeleteMeg, you nailed it! Why not indeed? Life is too short.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post as I did the one about Richard Nelson. I really want to live this way, use my good china and have fur hatted dinner guests. I'm going to make this one of my New Year's resolutions! Thanks for the inspiration!!
ReplyDeletecorrection: SOME of us that are younger do collect antique porcelain -I have masses of it - just not a majority of us perhaps ;-)
ReplyDeleteStefan, I'm coming to your home for dinner :)
ReplyDeleteI can't cook very well, but I can serve it up on some gorgeous china! lol
ReplyDeleteI have been a China hound since my first tea set arrived from FAO Scwartz. I still have it 50 years later! I never get tired of Canton, Coalport, anything Spode. I'm not in recovery from my addiction, and do not intend to be. I use my good China everyday. It holds up unbelievably well. I set elegant tables with the bargain China too. Come visit and see our new store launch. I am a big fan of PoC!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Liz
I live this way in my head, dining on great china for everyday casual meals, a gorgeous dinner party per week. If only! Life is too short not to indulge and use the best when you have it. There's a new year's resolution in the making...
ReplyDeleteI had a client in Dallas whose stepfather-in-law was a descendant from a well known family and had a lot of the "overflow" when the contents of several houses were consolidated. She used 18th century blue & white export as her breakfast dishes. I can attest that Corn Flakes indeed taste better in beautiful porcelain!
ReplyDeleteThe baked potato with caviar looked so delish and devine, thats what I'm having for dinner on a mullberry transfer plate!
ReplyDeleteA rousing sound came from my mouth.YES.use my china everyday. Great post! xx peggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteAs a bride 36 years ago I chose Blue Calico for my everyday dishes. I mix them with Blue Willow and Mottahedeh Blue Canton, along with plain white dishes. Never tire of the patterns. And yes, we do have to feed our eyes well as our tummies!
ReplyDeleteThe baked potato with caviar looks scrumptious! An idea for dinner tonight and it fits right in with the diet. Last week the Yeoward crystal looked well on the table with the cast-iron casserole of boeuf bourguignon last week -gave some gravitas to the cheap but lusty red wine served with it. Our china, which is used whether the occasion is grand or quotidian, is not antique but thirty years old, certainly. We bought it, plain creamware based on a Louis XV pattern, in Luxembourg and after loading the boxed in the boot of the car we had lunch at a local cafe. There, in the "gents" was the same china manufacturer's mark emblazoned on the porcelain fittiings! Sorta put any ideas of grandeur right out of my head.
ReplyDeleteFor people who live in small quarters, the decision to make everyday use of the "good" china--or crystal, or silver--has a wonderful practical advantage: it eliminates having to store a second set of everything that one seldom uses, which frees up a lot of cabinet space. More room for booze.
ReplyDeleteIt also eliminates the hassle of having to drag all that stuff out--and in the case of silver, polish it--before having a nice dinner, meaning that you're always company-ready, even on short notice. Thank heavens for Swanson's. Just add parsley.
I grew up in a house with a cupboard full of Canton, some of it family, much like Mr. Schutze's. And for most of the 45 years our famiy has been in the Antiques business, Blue & White Canton has been something that transcended fads and changes in tastes--until two years ago. Sad. It really is lovely, and goes with everything.
ReplyDeleteI'd kill for Pinto's plates....
We have loads of china at Darlington House, much of it old or antique. We have bought it both high and low, but much has been picked up on the cheap at country auctions, estate sales, and from dealers. We recently bought a large set of Paris porcelain where the cost-per-dish was less than $5. Point being, one needn't pay a crazy price to buy beautiful antique china. And so what if it can't go in the dishwasher, I actually rather like hand washing our china.
ReplyDeleteHalston always served this- with plenty of cocaine!
ReplyDeleteCollecting china doesn't have to be expensive, especially if you're willing to mix patterns. I often see nice sets of china at high-end thrift shops for around $100. Take advantage of its being out of fashion!
ReplyDeleteI use my wedding china and silver every day, for every meal. With limited storage space, I don't have room for anything else. I would never want to go back to "every day" settings.