...WILDNESS IS A NECESSITY. JOHN MUIR

{HISTORY}

Let your imagination float and flutter like the falling leaves of Autumn when it comes to all the mealtime possibilities you can create with these vintage autumn dishes. 

Made by Salem China Company in 1965, just a couple of years before they closed their doors forever, this pretty pattern called Maple Leaf was a hot ticket item in the grocery and hardware stores of midcentury America.  

Back then, you'd see Maple Leaf pieces advertised in the sales circulars, giving shoppers the option of completing entire sets piece by piece, week by week at discounted prices. Typically with every $5.00 you spent on groceries, one piece of dishware would be available for a deeply discounted price (usually between $0.10-$0.20 per dish). The promotion generally would run over the course of three months, and each week a new dish from the pattern would be the featured discount item of the week. This type of special sale gave shoppers ample time to build up their collections at affordable prices. 

It's easy to see how Maple Leaf would have been an ideal pattern for such a promotion. With its year-round appeal and soft, neutral color palette, it had widespread appeal and adaptability that could change with the seasons with just a few minor decor adjustments. 

Here in the Vintage Kitchen, we love this pattern for its wispy, willowy, delicate design and color arrangement. The leaves look almost handpainted and there is gorgeous contrast between the light green and dark brown shades. This collection of assorted pieces contains a teacup and saucer, a berry bowl, a cereal bowl and three wide rimmed coupe style soup bowls - the perfect arrangement for a bevy of fall meals. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Each piece is sold individually in an effort to augment your collection or begin your pattern collecting from scratch just like the sales promotion back in the 1960s

- Colors include sage, mint, nutmeg, walnut, butter, and lemon

- Assorted pieces include one teacup and saucer, one berry bowl, one cereal bowl and three wide-rimmed soup bowls

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. There are no chips or cracks and each piece is clean and bright. The saucer and one soup bowl contain a gorgeous web of light crazing. 

{SIZE}

The teacup measures 3.75" inches (diameter) x 2.25" inches (height). The saucer measures 6" inches in diameter and weighs 9.5 oz.

The berry bowl measures 5" inches (diameter) x 1.25" inches (height) and weighs 3 oz.

The cereal bowl measures 6" inches (diameter) x 1.5" inches (height) and weighs 6oz.

The soup bowls measure 7.25" inches (diameter) x 1.5" inches (height) and 11 oz. each