The task of collecting anything can be both fun and rewarding, coupling the love for the item and the thrill of the hunt. I’ve been in combat with armies of blue-haired ladies on the smokey battlefields of estate sales to seek out and rescue my treasures. Some of these “more experienced”, sensible shoe wearing, floral perfumed warriors will straight up take shit out of your hands! As china collecting gets increasingly popular and competitive, along with these withered little adversaries on a mission for bargains, you’ll be finding more and more educated dealers and retailers out there getting into the mix. These vipers will know the manufacturer, pattern, era, and going price on Ebay, Etsy, and in retail with just a glance, and they’re ready to strike! I’m one of these vipers, so I know. 😉 Since it can be fine china Guerrilla warfare out there, it’s important to be able to recognize exactly what you’re looking for the moment you see it so you don’t go home empty handed, or with a carload of bubble-wrapped regrets. There’s no fine china superstore with all patterns for sensible prices, if you lose out on something you love in person or in an online bidding war because you hesitated, who knows when or if you’ll ever see it again.
With Sugarbaker & Toad, I’ve had the weighty task of putting together a collection to serve hundreds of people, with options of leeway to bend and cater to the style of different clients and events. Putting together a small, private collection is far less daunting. You have just one person and one taste to consider, and need far fewer items. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably drawn to more than just one style. This is where it can get confusing.
The term mismatched gives the impression of just throwing any old things together. But while some of the charm of this style comes undoubtedly from looking “unfussy” and casual, there has to be a rhyme and a reason in order for it to look right, a method to the madness. Items don’t have to be made for each other in order for the eye to pick it up and feel “these things go together,” just like we can put together clothes from all kinds of brands, eras, and styles, instead of wearing a head to toe uniform. Mismatching china is the same in that you can put together an outfit that looks great, or one that would make Joan Rivers cough up a hairball.
Here are a few things to consider when you start building your collection.
As with anything else, over the years china has gone through different trends and fads, especially in the last 70 years or so. In the time period before this, most bone china was manufactured and designed in England and Bavaria and was of the same elegant taste. Starting in the 40’s and 50’s, china manufacturers started to delve into modern trends. Weight, design, size and color are some of the ways in which china has morphed.
Below are examples of traditional English and Bavarian bone china. As you can see, the patterns are delicate. Pinks, greens and lighter shades are more common. Darker and brighter colors like black and red are used sparingly, and what I would call “fall colors” are pretty minimal as well. What you might not be able to tell from the picture below is how light weight they are. Real fine china is thin as can be. This is a good indicator when you’re on the hunt yourself. Pick up the plate or teacup, if it’s super light, chances are it’s the good $tuff.
The plates above are a good example of mixing together patterns that are different, but don’t fight each other. The bold is kept minimal, balancing the vast amounts of white and lighter colors. When designing a table top, or a whole collection, you want to keep in mind balancing it so there’s just the right amount of tension, and nothing is overpowering or standing out like a sore thumb.
That’s not to say you can’t introduce really bold pieces to the subdued collection. In fact, it looks great when you do. Just make sure the piece is not contrasting in more than one area. If the colors are bold, make sure that it matches the weight, size and general style of the rest. Adding a plate that’s bolder + fatter + bigger + modern is going to make it stand out like Larry the Cable Guy in a vegan prayer circle. Below are some great examples of bold pieces that work with the traditional, muted china. They also just so happen to be some of my favorite plates!
The colors are bold, but the designs are intricate, delicate, and not cartoony. Also, the plates themselves are very light weight. These characteristics make them great contrast pieces. They compliment rather than clash. When I find pieces like these, I just have to have them. Have you seen anything more dreamy?? Even if they didn’t do a lick of good with the collection, I would need to own them and stare at them and, in my weaker moments, pet them and ask them how their day is and if they love me as much as I love them.
Now, let’s get into some no-nos. And I don’t mean to be degrading to these different styles, but with some knowledge, I think we can appreciate these things, and also see why they don’t belong in a fine china collection.
In the 1940s, Franciscan china was introduced and became popular. It’s still very popular today. The origin of Franciscan china is from a tile company that decided to spread out into the plate making business. But that’s essentially what they are; tile. Earthenware, ironstone, stoneware, call it what you like, THIS IS NOT FINE CHINA. It’s bigger, bulkier, heavier and just, well, not china.
These are some examples of Earthenware and stoneware, which are basically pottery. The top left is the most brazen example of this cardinal sin. It’s called Desert Rose, and it is, or at least was, MAJORLY popular. I’m under the impression it may have been some kind of entry gift into social security benefits because every old lady whose estate sale I’ve ever attended has left behind a minimum of 12 pieces of this portly tableware. It’s EVERYWHERE. Especially in Southern California and Arizona, where I do most of my collecting. I know that it was popular nationwide, but possibly more so in this region because it has that south-westy vibe; muted, fleshy pinks, and a handmade pottery feel.
As I said before, real fine china is ultra thin and light as air. When I hold some of my better teacups up to my lips to sip tea, I feel as though I could bite right through them. But while it feels that way, it’s actually quite the opposite. Fine china has been vitrified, which means it’s glass through and through. This not only makes it super strong, but if it does get chipped, it’s not porous inside. Earthenware, though big and heavy, actually breaks and chips very easily. And because on the inside it’s basically clay, it’s very porous. If it does get a chip in the glaze, the insides will be susceptible to absorbing moisture and bacteria. Pottery style dishes should never be used for food use once they have a chip in them, use them for decor only, or just toss them.
Some people will still try to sell you on stoneware being “fine china,” don’t buy it. It’s a great thing to collect on it’s own, Fiestaware is highly collectable, it’s worth a lot of money and comes in really fun colors. If you do collect it, I know great places to find it and I will give you first dibs on all of it. 😉 Cool as it may be, this stuff does not play well with fine china. Remember it breaks all 4 rules of contrast (size, weight, color, and style) instead of the allowable 1.
Kathie Winkle designs are another rule breaking bunch I see people trying to mix with fine china, and it doesn’t work. Although her designs were made to “mix and match” with themselves, they don’t look right with traditional fine china. Their lines are too boldly geometric and cartoony, and they have a common theme of those “fall colors” that are rarely found as a substantial element in fine china. If it’s a color shag carpeting came in, Kathie Winkle loved it. But mustard yellow trapezoids will fight delicate pink flowers, and they will always win. This is another thing I think is cool to collect separately, especially if retro is your thing. It doesn’t get more retro than Kathie Winkle. These are the kind of dinnerware that can be really fun to play with if you have a food blog, for example. They catch the eye and give the immediate impression of retro. But that’s part of the reason you can’t place them with fine china and expect them to jive, turkey.
When piecing together your collection, another thing to consider is the shift of plate size over the last 50 years. Below is a dinner plate from the 1930’s sitting on top of a modern dinner plate. The antique dinner plate reads almost like a salad plate in today’s standards! This explains a lot, doesn’t it? (Oink) I’ll take that as a yes.
Traditionally dinner plates used to average around 7-9 inches. Modern dinner plates are around 10-12. This matters if you’re planning on stacking your dishes for presentation. This is my favorite look for fine china. I’ve attached a couple examples of stacked or piled table settings below. I love this look not only because it’s gorgeous, but also because it takes up less space on the table. Beautiful and functional. It’s also a great way to play with the patterns and show off your design skills.
In this venture, SIZE MATTERS. You don’t want a salad plate to be so big it covers up the lovely design of the dinner plate, or so small it looks like you stole it from the Barbie Dream House in desperation to complete the table when an extra guest showed up last minute. Sizes should be cohesive in order for the eye to read that they belong together.
If you don’t plan to pile your collection at any time, you won’t need to pay as much attention to size while you’re collecting. It’s ok to put varying sized plates at place settings on the same table. Just try not to have one set that sticks out so much because of it’s size. The guest seated at that setting may wonder if this was your subtle hint you noticed how many shrimp appetizers they powered through before dinner.
The more you shop around, the more you’ll learn about fine china and what really tickles your fancy. For this reason, build your collection slowly, know that you can’t just go out and put it together in a week. Collections take time, and should be a true labor of love. It will show in the end result. If you find that one plate you just can’t live without, it can be a good cornerstone for you to build your collection around. It’s ok to be picky about colors and styles if you’re not sure if they’ll go. Generally, if I’m not sure, I skip it. Stick with a color scheme. Pick 1 or 2 main colors to focus the collection on and make sure each piece you buy either contains them, or truly compliments them. Put down the 6 pound Native American clay disk of a plate and keep an eye out for that really thin stuff, unless you’re also shopping for cute stepping stones for your garden. Take a ruler shopping with you. I also find it helps to bring a list of what I have, and what I’m most in need of. This will keep you focused so you end up with a complete collection instead of 42 bread plates because they were soooooo preeeeeettyyyy! With 42 bread plates you’ll only be about to show off the collection when you throw a dinner party for your Cabbage Patch Kids.
Oh, and one more major pet peeve before I go. Never, ever, under any circumstance, are saucers to be used as plates! Please and thank you.
Tags: collecting, collection, fine china, how to, mismatched china, vintage, vintage china, vintage rentals
