Vintage 1950s Azalea Pattern Platter by Crooksville China Company
In the language of flowers, azaleas represent abundance, home and the nostalgia of a long ago place...
{HISTORY}
Don't those three sentiments above just wrap up the essence of the kitchen all in one fell swoop? Here in this one pretty platter, there is a lot going on when it comes to striking a mood in the kitchen.
Made in the early 1950s by Ohio's Crooksville China Company the Azalea pattern bloomed just a few years before the company closed its doors in 1959. Perhaps at this point, the designers at Crooksville were putting great stock in the beauty of debuting patterns like this one - hoping that the dish-loving public's interest in it would save the plant, save the pottery, save their place in the ceramic industry.
But competition in the dishware world was always fierce and unfortunately, Crooksville China did not make it long enough to welcome the 1960s. That fact turns this platter now into a little ambassador of sorts. Acting like a tour guide of history, it shows us what life looked like in the 1950s when it came to china choices, kitchen colors, and the idea that femininity ruled the daily domestic landscape.
Containing an embossed rope design around the rim, and big, blousy flowers, this platter contains all the optimism that the post-WWII generation was feeling in America. Colors of pink, orange, lemon, sage, grey, and chocolate brown are cheerful, pleasant, and bright, and a platter like this calls out for food equally as lively. Here in the Vintage Kitchen, we can see it piled high with pastel-shaded macaroons, coconut-dusted dream bars, petit-fours cut into neat little squares, or maybe even rich, dark, chocolate fudge brownies sprinkled with sea salt and sugar. Isn't that half the fun of pulling out a vintage platter from the cupboard? Deciding what you would serve on it and when and to whom?
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Hard to find piece in the Azalea pattern
- Embossed edge and impressed handles
{CONDITION}
In absolutely lovely condition. This platter contains no chips or cracks,. There is light crazing n the front and three marks on the back where it sat in the kiln. Please see photos.
{SIZE}
Measures 13.75" inches (length) x 10.75" inches (width) and weighs just under 2lbs.
{STYLE IDEA}
This platter looks especially pretty with this 1930s-covered casserole dish and this antique ice water pitcher.