Antique French Majolica Asparagus Serving Dish With Molded Cradle & Floral Rim, Circa 1900

Details

Description

Antique French majolica asparagus serving dish, circa 1900, with a raised molded asparagus cradle, hand-painted floral border and colorful glazed … Read more Antique French majolica asparagus serving dish, circa 1900, with a raised molded asparagus cradle, hand-painted floral border and colorful glazed earthenware decoration.

Designed specifically for serving asparagus, the elongated dish centers a molded cradle of asparagus spears painted in soft lilac, blue, green and rose. The warm cream-to-yellow ground is framed by a hand-painted floral border, giving the piece considerably more color and decorative interest than many asparagus servers of the period.

The raised center was both decorative and practical, holding the asparagus above the surrounding dish while allowing moisture to drain away—a specialized form associated with the elaborate table service of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The underside is impressed “FRANCE,” indicating manufacture for the export market. No factory mark is present, so I prefer to leave the maker unattributed rather than assign it to one of the several French potteries known for producing majolica asparagus wares during this period.

At 15 inches long, it has enough scale to display beautifully in a china cabinet, on a dining room sideboard or as part of a collection of French majolica—and it remains a wonderfully distinctive piece of antique serveware.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE
Specialized asparagus servers became fashionable additions to well-appointed European tables in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when asparagus was served as a distinct course. Molded majolica examples combined function with the period’s enthusiasm for naturalistic decoration. Today, these distinctive serving pieces are collected both as French majolica and as reminders of an era when even a single vegetable could have its own beautifully designed tableware.

009A0JWHpk38 See less