In Kitchen Kraft, we offer a new, modern, graceful shape calculated to appeal instantly to discriminating purchasers... and new exceptionally attractive decorations, thoroughly in keeping with modern trends. (1937 advertisement)

{HISTORY}

First debuting in 1937, Homer Laughlin's Kitchen Kraft line was designed around beauty, efficiency, and durability when it came to daily cooking. Available in mixing bowls, covered casserole dishes, jugs, teapots, pie servers, and cake plates, they were modeled after the popular Oven Ware series of the 1920s which allowed home cooks to take food directly from the fridge to the oven to the table. Stylish and colorful, Kitchen Kraft offered a bit more of the modern with sleeker shapes and design details that were popular during the Art Deco era. 

This pink and purple floral was originally called Breton when it debuted in the 1930s. Based on 18th century French botanical art with three different types of flower arrangements scattered across an ivory background and gold striping around the rim, the pattern name changed to Priscilla in the 1940s. 

Stamped with both the Homer Laughlin Kitchen Kraft mark and the Household Institute mark, in the 1940s this set was part of a promotional campaign for Kroger grocery stores. Offered at reduced prices, with the option of buying an entire dish and ovenware set piece by piece after customers spent a certain amount on groceries in-store, this was both a fun and economical way to build a dish collection during the WWII years when everyone's finances were stretched thin.  

True kitchen characters, just like vintage cookbooks of the same era, WWII mixing bowls saw cooks through their most creative kitchen endeavors. War rationing of many pantry staples including sugar, meat, butter, cheese, canned foods and coffee made cooking and baking such a challenge as alternative ingredients were substituted to mimic flavor and fool the mind. There's no doubt that this pretty set was part of inventive meal-making of the most magical kind. It's so fun to imagine what sorts of inspirations these three helped create.

Vintage advertisement courtesy of the Clinton Daily Journal and Public, August 13, 1943

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Colors include pale pink, raspberry, spring green, lavender, plum, butter, soft white, sunflower, olive, mint, and sage.
• Priscilla pattern
• Three nested sizes include small, medium and large bowls
• Stamped on bottom with the Homer Laughlin Kitchen Kraft mark, the Household Institute mark and the pattern name

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, as true workers of the kitchen with 80 years of cooking and baking experience behind them, these bowls have seen a few adventures and contain  minimal signs of wear.

There are no cracks on any of the three bowls and the glaze is bright and shiny on each both inside and out. There are two small age-old chips on the outer rim of the largest bowl that each measure less than 1/8" inch in size. There is light staining around the rim of the smallest bowl, one light stain spot on the bottom of the interior of the large bowl and one small surface chip on the interior of the medium bowl. The gold rim is wearing in some areas around the rim of each bowl. The floral bouquets are crisp and bright on all three bowls, nad each is very clrean and bright on the interior and exterior.  Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

The small bowl measures 6.25" inches (diameter) x 3.5" inches (height) and weighs 1 lb.

The medium bowl measures 8.5" inches (diameter) x 4.5" inches (height) and weighs 1.13 lbs.

The large bowl weighs 10.25" inches (diameter) x 5.5" inches (height) and weighs 3 lbs. 

In total, this set weighs just under 6 lbs.

{FOR THE LOVE OF PRISCILLA}

Find more pieces in the pretty Priscilla pattern in the shop here.