{HISTORY}

One thing is always guaranteed when it comes to antique porcelain from Limoges, France. It's always beautiful.

This pair of antique porcelain serving trays was made between 1882-1890 by Gerard, Dufraisseix & Morel, just after they took over the Charles Field Haviland pottery upon C.F.'s retirement in 1881. Also referred to as GDM, Gerard, Duffraisseix & Morel brought innovation and expansion to the Haviland brand while also emulating the superior craftsmanship and exquisite beauty that the Haviland brand has always represented.

Featuring trailing handpainted flowers on ivy-like vines, these two platters are a matching set with one tray slightly bigger than the other, but also, thanks to the hand-decorating each retains its own unique character.

This pattern cataloged as Schleiger 373 contains ivy in the shades of taupe, pigeon and beige and flowers in the shades of pale raspberry, plum, soft yellow and periwinkle. It's an interesting color palette that easily blends season by season throughout the year with dark beige neutrals reflecting the fall and winter months and pinks, blues, and yellows boasting the colors of spring and summer. 

Beautiful scroll-like details add visual interest to the handles and beautifully embossed gathered corners complete the overall composition. The embossed corners are unusual when it comes to porcelain trays and platters and are reminiscent of gathered fabric around the waist of your favorite dress or the decolletage of your favorite blouse. With its long rectangular shape, also harder to find in antique Haviland, these two trays are a beautiful example of the high-quality craftsmanship the Haviland brand has been known for for centuries. 

Making and selling dishes since the 1800s, the Haviland family bears one of the most interesting empire-building stories in the dish world.  There was drama to be had both in business competition and in sibling rivalries all while racing to produce the most exquisite porcelain the world would come to know. Over on the blog in 2017, we did an in-depth post on the Haviland family history.  If you missed it, read all about this fascinating family here. 

Between the 1950s-1970s, Haviland enthusiast Arlene Schleiger began cataloging the thousands of different patterns bearing the Haviland name. Since many Haviland patterns were not named in the factory, Arlene devised her own numerical pattern names to differentiate one Haviland design from another. It was a huge undertaking, one that consumed a large portion of her life, but it was not in vain. Her work is still the standard catalog tool used by collectors today.

Thanks to Arlene, this pattern is also referred to as Schleiger's 373 pattern, a handy bit of information if you are looking to fill out more pieces in your collection. Originally, these rectangular trays in the 373 pattern came in a number of different sizes that ranged in length from 10" inches to 18" inches offering a bevy of serving options. These two trays nest one inside each other but are being sold separately. They are an especially lovely size for serving hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, party foods, desserts, cocktails or as decor pieces hanging on a wall or propped against a shelf. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Schleiger Pattern 373
• Unique size and shape
• Hand-decorated 
• Each tray is stamped on back with maker's marks 
• Each tray is sold separately

{CONDITION}

In beautiful antique condition, these trays contain no chips, cracks, spots, or staining. They are both very heavy and of thick composition. The gold detailing on the handles is worn in some spots due to age. The floral patterns are crisp and clear. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

The small tray measures 14" inches (length) x 8" inches (width) and weighs 2.4 lbs

The larger tray measures 16" inches (length)m x 9.5" inches (width) and weighs just a smidge under 4 lbs.