Floral patterns have been used to decorate just about everything and appear almost everywhere. They have been used so extensively, that we take them for granted even though we pass them by everyday. One area of design we may not notice is on dinnerware. The floral patterns depicted here reflect the art work of great designers and remind us of a history in which flowers played a central part.
Roses are probably the most widely used flower for decorating dinnerware. One of the most popular patterns is Desert Rose created in California by Frederick and Mary Grant in 1941 for the Gladding McBean pottery. It is a depiction of the Rosa rugosa, a shrub that grows into a dense thicket with tomato sized hips. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy chose Franciscan Desert Rose for use in the White House and is on display in the Smithsonian as one of the largest selling patterns in the history of American dinnerware. A rugged plant, this rose grows wild on coastlines and sand dunes and is commonly called beach tomato, sea tomato, saltspray rose and beach rose. Valued for its resistance to diseases such as black spot and rust, it is endangered as a wild plant. It has been hybridized and is now sold as Knock Out Roses.
From left to right: Rosa rugosa hips; pink rosa; Franciscan Desert Rose
Another popular line of dinnerware featuring roses was introduced in 1933 by the Homer Laughlin pottery called Virginia Rose. However, the Virginia Rose (rosa virginiana) was not the rose featured on its ware. This was actually the name given to the shape and was decorated with a myriad of floral designs but the most popular was the Moss Rose or “fluffy rose” decal. Named after the general manager’s granddaughter, it was designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead who also designed Fiestaware and was sold for decades through Woolworth’s. Moss Roses (Portulaca grandiflora) produce flowers ranging from one inch to two inches, in bright reds, oranges, yellows, purples and pinks set atop green, succulent leaves. An annual, they need good drainage and bright sun and thrive well in strawberry jars.
From left to right: Moss Rose; detail of Moss "Fluffy" Rose; Virginia Rose bowl
Many other American potteries featured floral patterns and trees on their ware in the early days of this industry. Pictured are some other early decals of roses.
From left to right: Devon Spray Roses; detail of Devon Spray; Blue Ridge Roses
From left to right: W.S. George "Derwood" (1898); detail of Derwood; Homer Laughlin rose bowl
In the next article (2/7/11) we will take a look at some of the other popular floral designs such as the Blue Willow, Blue Onion, and Blue Tulip that were in use.
Joyce B. Gladden, a transplanted New Yorker now living in Virginia, is an author, novice gardener, quilter, and book collector. She is a frequent contributor to Dave’s Garden. Her plant of choice, about which she has written, is the coleus. All photographs for this post are courtesy of Joyce.
Thumbnail image ~ Creative Commons, Oldharmonic, Moss Roses.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I know of kitchens in Beaverton and Bainbridge Island where the lovely Desert Rose is in daily use. A fun article, Viktoria!
Joyce is a good writer … she’ll appreciate your compliment, Jean.
Great article! It was very informative and the photographs are wonderful and a great fit for the read. Like like like!
Thank you all! I’m glad you enjoyed my article. It was a fun project!