Vintage 1920s German Floral Cake Plate - Erphila Georgian Leaf - Ebeling & Reuss Philadephia
Das Auge isst mit... (a German expression meaning your eyes eat along with you.)
{HISTORY}
Let's imagine all the desserts that could have made their way to this vintage German cake platter. There's coffee cake, marble cake, black forest cake. Cinnamon strudel, homemade doughnuts, apple fritters, and fruit turnovers. There's lebkuchen and linzer cookies. Tortes and tarts. Not to mention the possibility of a zillion different pies and pastries. Oh, the delights!
Made in Germany for the Philadelphia import company Ebeling & Reuss, this 1920s cake plate features a cabbage leaf embossed edge (known as Georgian Leaf) and a brightly colored floral bouquet. Unique in its composition the bouquet includes a shaggy mum, a parrot tulip, hollyhocks, and purple cabbage roses all bound together with petite blue, orange, and yellow wax flowers.
Combining two dramatic elements to a cake plate ensures that whatever dessert you are serving, it will look beautiful from all angles. If it's a cake, the cabbage leaf embossed rim adds a nice texture. When the cake is sliced it adds a pretty hint of color as you serve your homemade delectables. The same idea goes for individual handheld treats like cookies and doughnuts. They start piled high on the plate and as it gets passed around and the baked goods enjoyed the plate still offers a pleasing view.
We like to think that Ebeling & Reuss had that very thought in mind when they ordered this cake plate from Germany. Started by German immigrants Theodore Ebeling and Frederick Reuss in 1886, their attention to detail to the taste and aesthetics of the American market yielded a successful enterprise that lasted 106 years. Theodore and Frederick named their import company Erphila - a clever combination of the two letters of their last name and the first half of the word Philadelphia. Specializing in an array of dishware from many European potteries and countries, Erphila's catalog of wares included glass, art pottery, dishes, and giftware. In 2002, after a century's worth of business in the American marketplace, the company was sold and the Erphila brand retired.
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Embossing details and transferware florals
- Gold edge
- Stamped on the back with the Erphila mark
- Colors include plum, lavender, merlot, pumpkin, blueberry, mustard, celery, tangerine, peanut butter, and pale pink
{CONDITION}
In lovely vintage condition. They are no chips or cracks. There are some very light crazing marks and the gold rim in some areas has rubbed away. The floral transferware is in excellent condition with bright colors and clear crisp details. There is one small scuff near the edge of the rim on the back. This is not a chip or a crack and does not compromise the plate in any way.
{SIZE}
Measures 11.25" inches in diameter and weighs 1.10 lbs.