Romantic England ~ Purple Transferware Tablescape

Does anyone else out there have it bad for purple?  I do, especially when it's purple transferware. 

Tonight I'm setting the table with J & G Meakin's Romantic England in purple.  First, I'll tell you a little about this firm and the brothers who operated it.  J & G stands for James and George, the eldest of four Meakin brothers, all who were famous potters, and all the sons of James Meakin, a potter himself.  When James Sr. fell ill, the two eldest boys succeeded him in his pottery business and thus formed J & G Meakin in 1851.  Within about a year their father had died and the boys moved the factory to a new location in Hanley where they remained for 7 years.  The brothers were quick to realize the potential in the export market so George went to the United States to set up the sales market while James remained in England to manage the pottery works and logistics.  This lead to much success, so much that a new factory was built on the side of the Caldon canal and was named Eagle Pottery. 

The Eagle pottery was bold and visionary, well advanced for its time.  Erected on the moorlands on the outskirts of Hanley with access by canal where many potteries often built on the canal side so that raw materials could be brought in and finished wares could be taken for export (the great majority of Meakin wares were made for export to the United States).  In 1887 J & G purchased the Eastwood Pottery from brother Charles Meakin,  becoming the largest potting company in Britain.

The company was passed from one generation to the next for over a hundred years.  1968 saw the merger of Meakin with Midwinter and in 1970 they were taken over by the Wedgwood group.  And just to keep you (hopefully) interested, the Meakin brothers have very famous grandsons whom we know today as Johnson Brothers (producers of famous patterns such as Old Britain Castles, Rose Chintz and Friendly Village).

Ok, ok enough learning and history I say!

Here is my tablescape. 

I began with a gorgeous Ralph Lauren tablecloth from PersonallybyPat.  She has more of these available and lots of other gorgeous table linens and home decor.  Coincidentally, I have drapes made from this fabric in my bedroom, where I display some of my purple transferware.    It's a deep aubergine background with floral bouquets in lavender, purple, red, pink, taupe and green.  The purple looks so nice against it but you can bring out lots of colors with this.

The Romantic England pattern depicts a different, historical English scene on each piece which is framed with a pretty vine and berry border.  It comes in several colors which you can see some of HERE

 The flatware is an ornate set with green marbleized handles by Barenthal.  I have two, new 20 pc. service for four sets available if anyone wants them.  Just email me if so.  I love the look of this flatware and have a burgundy colored set too.

Isn't this purple transferware napkin ring adorable?  It's the only one I have...shhh, dont' tell, but the others I used are all brown.  And the napkins...yes I use them all the time.  They were my Moms and I remember many of her dinner parties having these at the table.  Some of the lace is so tattered and torn on a few of them but I don't have it in me to part with them.

The cool swirled lavender glasses are Anthropologie and come

from Auntie's Elegant Collectibles.   The purple glasses are a TJ Maxx bargain.

The big, lavender/purple pillar candles and the tealights are from Zest Candles....wonderful candle selection here!

The salad plates depict Penshurst Place with deer grazing in the front.  Some of them are slightly square shaped plates and some are more rounded like mine below. 

 The dinner plates depict a horseman passing over a bridge at Haddon Hall.  There is a fisherman sitting on the banks below.  There are two similar engravings for this plate, one has the addition of a little girl standing on the bridge waving her hat in a friendly hello to the man on the horse as he passes by.

The tea cup and saucer shows Anne Hathaway's (Shakespeare's wife) Cottage and the saucer, Holy Trinity Church at Stratford on Avon.

Other Romantic England pieces depict places like Ightham Mote,  Willy Lotts cottage, West Gate / Liecester Hospital and famous castles such as Stokesay.  They are beautiful as display pieces or for use.  I had a lot of pictures to show of my bedroom on my computer (which fried big time a week ago) so I'll have to show you some other time.

Until then, have a great weekend!

Ability will never catch up with the demand for it
~Confucius~

A Stroll Thru Life
Brambleberry Cottage
Bargain Hunting with Laurie

Publish Post

Southern Hospitality 

Be Colorful 

Life As Lori 

Finding Fabulous

Common Ground
Vignette Friday
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch


Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations 
Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor