{HISTORY}

A dish is a dish, you might say. And of course, you wouldn't be wrong. But a dish is also a storyteller and a memory maker. A unique slice-of-life-communicator that wears its history proudly in its markings.

Nothing holds more curiosity in the dish world than vintage restaurant ware pieces. They tell stories of people and places, foods and fads, eateries and lodging establishments, entrepreneurial business endeavors, and successes and failures both big and small. Not everyone can share in the joy of the great corn casserole that Aunt Milly made in 1945, but thousands of people can share in the joy of a cup of chowder from a favorite New England diner or a plate of house pickles in a popular Southern hotel restaurant or the best cafe in all of California to enjoy a chicken salad sandwich.  That's the type of unified nostalgia that vintage restaurant ware brings to the table.

This vintage dish was made by Shenango, one of the 20th century's largest restaurant ware makers, for J.E. Stephens Co in Detroit. Whether it stayed in that city or traveled elsewhere, we do not yet know, as J.E. Stephens is a hard bit of history to pin down, but interestingly, this celery dish features the same color pattern as another Shenango celery dish that was made for the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.

So you never know where this little darling of a dish was headed or whom it eventually wound up serving. Perhaps it stayed in the mid-west and fed the motor industry crowd or maybe it made its way across the country via rail in service to passengers headed east and west or north and south. The fun with vintage restaurant ware is imagining the life it once lived while also appreciating the life it's living now in your space with you. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Colors include mauve, cobalt blue, dark green, emerald green and pale lemon

- Stamped on back with maker's mark 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. No chips or cracks.

{SIZE}

Measures 9.75" inches (length) x 4.5" inches (width) 

{STYLE IDEA}

Pair this dish with this dish for a complimentary mix and match aesthetic. The unique shape od these dishes are great for hors d'oeuvres, appetizers and snacks.