There are often many questions surrounding the design of George and Martha Washington's "States" china. This article ran last spring and reaction was so strong we decided to include it again. People are always curious to know how this design came to be and what is the meaning behind the design's various elements.
Q: When did the Washington's purchase this china?
A: This china was a gift and it arrived in Philadelphia on April 24th, 1796 to be delivered to the Washingtons.Q: Why is there a snake around the edge of the pieces?A: The snake is designed in a complete circle representing perpetuity. Serpents were used frequently by 16th century European illustrators when creating emblems. Since the originals of the Washington china came from Canton, China the chinese artists were asked to create symbols that would be appealing to western tastes.
Q: Why the letters "M" and "W" rather than "G" and "W"?
A: The Dutch trader, Captain van Braam Houckgeest brought this china service back from his travels to Canton, China as a gift for Martha Washington, hence her initials rather than our country's first president are used.Q: How many pieces were made in the original order?A: It is believed that 45 total pieces comprised the order delivered to Mrs. Washington.
Q: What does "Decus Et Tutamen AB Illo" mean?
A: The latin words on the floating red ribbon mean "Honor and Defense come from it".
Q: How did they choose the states which are shown in the design?
A: The states in the design are the fifteen states of the new Union and are shown with a chain link representing strength.
Q: What pieces of the Washington china does Woodmere have in its line of historic reproductions?
A: Woodmere now has 14 different items available ranging from a small flat, round ornament to the new, large oval serving platter. You can see all the pieces available by clicking on the link below:For more information on Woodmere's White House Collection George Washington china, click on this link:http://www.woodmerechina.com/whitehouse_items.cfm?item=1
Posts
1 comment:
How stupid a comment. Instead see the flow blue "chain of states" pattern by Royal English porcelain in the 1800s for the American market (all in blue) and often made to give to customers of retail businesses , furniture stores, with the business name on back made on consignment.?
Post a Comment