Entertaining with THE CHARLESTON SILVER LADY

DAWN CORLEY CharlestonSilverLady@hotmail.com

Beginning in Biblical times, flower gardens have been an attraction, a respite from the cares and concerns of the world—an oasis of tranquility.

It is interesting to see the influence of floral motifs taken from our beloved gardens and introduced to the surfaces of silver and porcelain throughout generations.

One can look at the surface of an 18th-century plate from China and see painted there the finely rendered details of daily life within a pleasure garden. Generations before the service of tea made its way to England, we see the Chinese enjoying a convivial time surrounded by a Chinese Chippendale lattice frame hanging with wisteria and other vines. Each detail of the garden implies the importance of tranquil moments. Butterflies, beetles and moths in beautiful detail imply the healthy nature of the surroundings.

Plates and other pieces from this place and time are typically made of kaolin, which was also naturally occurring in the soils of many pleasure gardens. As time went on, these porcelain treasures came to the shores of England and America, forming the context for what would become a worldwide desire for the same.

English and American porcelains took their inspiration from the pleasure garden as well. Perfectly painted English roses, peonies, poppies, and other colorful, iconic English flowers became highly desired worldwide. Fine, white English porcelain was the perfect canvas for the skilled artists who painted pieces with such precision they are still highly sought after today.

Other countries joined in the mix, taking flowers from their own pleasure gardens, forming a context within which just a glance could tell you where the pieces were from. Pieces from Holland, painted expertly with bulb flowers, are some of the most beautiful and desired.

Named patterns evolved in silver and porcelain, with each becoming highly collectible beginning around 1850 in America. A few to look up if you love floral silver are: Frontenac by International, Lily by Whiting, Poppy by Gorham, Jac Rose by Gorham, and Lily of the Valley by Whiting.

Porcelain and silver makers all over the world joined in and began to produce hand-painted pieces as patterns as well. The influence of the natural world remains compelling to all cultures.  

Don’t overlook the incredible glass made by Libbey, Lalique and Baccarat that went right along with the pleasure garden theme.

Table linens, tea towels, napkins all began to feature floral motifs. Many of you have things from your own family that were decorated this way. My Great Aunt Rae was a master of embroidery who decorated many things with beautiful, colorful flowers.

Her mother was a Victorian, so to her, this was a normal part of life, bringing the beauty of the pleasure garden into every aspect of life. I still have many linens decorated in this manner and I treasure them.  

Nature has been the muse of artists for generations, offering inspiration without fail. Look around and see the influence of the pleasure garden—it is everywhere and brings the beauty of the garden indoors.