I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. it is the perfect harmony. Coco Chanel

{HISTORY}

Featuring a pattern of red poppies, pale pink apple blossoms and a fancy little bird with fluttery red head and tail feathers, this set of vintage restaurant ware berry bowls dates to the 1920s. A hard-to-find pattern these days, this set was handpainted, making each bowl slightly different like a mini work of art.

With the most exciting of restaurant ware pieces, other fascinating stories swirl about how and where specific dishes spent their time. In this case, two other companies have been linked to this pretty pattern, offering a little glimpse of possibility into this set's past life.

One link is to New York City kitchen supplier, Duparquet who serviced hotel kitchens throughout NYC and other parts of the country. The other link is to the restaurants of Marshall Field's department store in Chicago IL, of which there were seven in the 1920s.

Although this is a very hard-to-find pattern these days, mentions of both Duparquet and Marshall Field's in other restaurant ware examples have been connected to this one pattern. So we have a story but not an absolute assurance this set of four is connected to either or both.  In a perfect world, we'd like to say that Duparquet in New York City supplied Marshall Field's in Chicago with these for bowls for one of their seven restaurants. It's not a concrete fact but most likely, based on assumption, this was the case. 

One thing we do know for certain is that these bowls were made by Lamberton in Trenton, NJ thanks to their stamp on the back of each. They were handpainted and marked by the colorist. And they also contain the special rolled rim style beveled edge underneath the rim for easy grab-and-go service. That special style rim was a sign of a busy restaurant with lots of turn over, as this dish shape was easy to grasp and carry quickly from kitchen to table. 

 {SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Matching set of four

- Berry/fruit/dessert size 

- Colors include tomato red, teal green, pale blue-grey, beige, walnut, pale pink, plum,  butter, black

{CONDITION}

Each bowl is in lovely vintage condition with no chips, cracks, or staining. There is light fading to the pattern on one dish. Please note the desired design of this pattern includes a tapestry-like finish, meaning the colors within the design are purposely striated and not a sign of degradation. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Each bowl measures 5.25" inches (diameter) and weighs 5.5 oz