Pickard Studio Opulent Green and Gold Dinner Plates With Acanthus Leaves and Urns Set of 6
Product Description And Additional Pictures
We have six unusual and opulent Pickard porcelain dinner plates in a design of gold and green acanthus leaves with urns (Pattern P59-11). Made from Heinrich and Co. blanks and decorated at the Pickard studios, these stunning Pickard plates evoke an elegant bygone era: measuring a generous 11" in diameter, this set of 6 plates have a rich cream background evocative of the color that extra egg yolks lend to French vanilla ice cream. A quarter-inch wide etched gold border at the rim, and a one-inch wide gold border on the verge frame the opulent design of gold urns, acanthus leaves and flowers with lovely soft green accents. There are two marks on the backs of this set: the first mark is the green underglaze Heinrich and Co. stamp, and the second mark is the gold Pickard coat of arms, Mark 11, which dates this set of plates between 1925 and 1930.
These six Pickard plates are in excellent and pristine condition, with no utensil marks through the broad gold border or through any of the scrollwork on the rim. This set is also very rare. We could not find this pattern in any Pickard reference sources, and have never seen it on any internet sites or auctions. Further, the pattern P59-11 is listed on the replacements.com website along with a photograph, but neither this pattern nor any of the other opulent Pickard "P" patterns are in stock. Of course, things can change, and a set may turn up, but do you really want to take that risk? We strongly suggest that you use these plates for display on your table or in your china cabinet, and that you not risk marking the plates with utensils. In addition, the old gilding does not do well in modern dishwashers, so please hand wash these plates. These lovely plates have survived nearly 100 years in pristine condition, and we know that you want for them to survive into the next century in the same perfect condition.
BRIEF HISTORY: Pickard, Inc. is a family owned business that to this day makes high quality, hand crafted china for distribution world-wide. The business was started by Wilder Pickard in Edgerton, Wisconsin in 1893, where he offered his customers hand painted giftware, artware, and high-quality dinnerware. Wilder Pickard moved his company to Chicago in 1897, calling it the Pickard China Studio, and continued to specialize in hand decorated dessert, tea sets, and dinnerware. Pickard assembled a group of exceptionally talented male and female china painters, many of whom emigrated from Europe, to work at his studio. In addition, Pickard hired numerous artists from the Art Institute of Chicago. Initially, all Pickard’s porcelain blanks were purchased from European manufacturers, until 1930 when Pickard’s son Austin started the production of china blanks. Eventually a production facility was opened in Antioch, Illinois, where the same formulation is still used today by Pickard to produce its fine china. The Pickard Company has a reputation for producing porcelain wares of the highest quality and artistry.