Wedgwood China Making a Come Back

Back in the 1980s FG knew the private secretary for the late dancer/actress Cyd Charisse. FG bought, from the secretary, Ms. Charisse’s twelve piece Wedgwood “Charnwood” pattern bone china dinner service. She wrote that its pinks and greens, butterflies in flight, and slight gold trim on pure white delight her.

FG SWEARS formal dining will come back. COVID meant she didn’t dine out so she predicts folks will entertain post-the-worst of the Pandemic in their homes. I suspect she’s correct, because Jeff Moran of John Moran Auctioneers reports to me that large formal dining tables are SELLING! FG jumped at the chance to purchase another Charnwood by Wedgwood service for twelve. Now she owns a service for twenty-four, and says her grown son and wife will kill her when she dies, and they must haul it away.

Why formal Wedgwood china is making a come back

First, connoisseurs always considered Wedgwood the most reliable china to purchase since the 18th Century. Josiah Wedgwood became the first potter of note to USE HIS NAME as a brand signature. Pieces marked Wedgwood and Co., or Enoch Wedgwood, are likely fakes. Wedgwood early on made their china ‘date-able” with specific marks and code.

Thus, on the back of FG’s china we see the shape of the famous Roman Portland Vase 1-25 A.D.. This famous example of ancient cameo glass, relief cut white glass over a blue-black ground, inspired the 18th century Josiah, and this shape/mark indicates a date from 1800 to around 1862. In about 1982, we start to see a copyright “c”. Right around 1891 we see the word “England” as part of the brand, required to meet the US Customs regulations imposed by the McKinley Customs Administration Act, a tremendous dating tool. if you see country of origin on ANYTHING, you know it dates no earlier than 1891. Replacements LTD says FG’s pattern dates from 1951-1987. Further research indicates it premiered in ads around 1949. Wedgwood tells us that Charnwood is a centuries old Chinese design first made by Josiah Wedgwood in 1790.

In 1949 a five piece place setting went for $14.50. Today Replacements LTD sells such a thing for $120 used. If you get lucky, as FG did, and buy a whole set at an estate sale, spending $400-500 for a not so complete service for twelve. In England this pattern is more popular, because they have a sense of history, and you’ll spend $900 on a service for twelve.

What each of the plates are used for

A five piece place setting, standard for two/three courses consists of dinner plate, bread and butter, the larger salad plate, and a coffee or teacup and saucer. Now we get into the dishes designed for more than two course meals. FG’s set contains many of these dishes: a square salad plate, a dessert plate slightly smaller than the salad, a rimmed soup bowl for clear soups, and a footed cream soup bowl and saucer for creamed (made with milk) soups, tiny fruit bowls, and a demitasse can and saucer. She also has a squat teapot and covered sugar and creamer, a chop plate used of course for serving meat/chops, and oval vegetable bowls. This set appears sufficient for a five course meal: appetizer, creamed soup or fish course, main course, salad, cheese or dessert and cheese.

This got me thinking about what a twelve course meal might involve. Luckily I found a twelve course meal as served on board in 1912, the night before the sinking of the Titanic:

1. Canapes/oysters
2. Consommé/cream soup
3. Fish
4. A choice of three entrees
5. The ‘removes” course: lamb or duck, and surprisingly Shepard’s pie, potatoes, peas, carrots, and rice
6. Punch or sorbet
7. Roast squab
8. Salad
9. Pate de foie gras cold dish
10. Sweets including chocolate eclairs 1
11. Dessert, fruit, and cheeses
12. Coffee and liqueurs.

The china services, Spode’s K4431, elegant, expensive white china with cobalt edged in gold, seemed vast to serve twelve courses.

I side with FG in thinking that the day will come when the dining room no longer serves as an office, and houses a formal dinner party with fine china services will increase in value as we DO entertain at home.