Every time I sit down to dinner using Vintage China and Silver I feel wonderful. Why? because there is beauty in front of me as I am dining. Real craftsmanship in the details and materials used. I can almost feel the centuries as I eat, and feel the generations before me enjoying food and conversation as they gathered in their own dining rooms.
Our lives have changed dramatically through the centuries, it’s true. We use dishwashers, and formal dining has made way for quick dinners and ready made meals. It feels as though we gather only for special occasions such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I had a transformative moment when my British grandmother on my father’s side passed away. My father and mother went to England for a few weeks to see to everything. When they returned my mother expressed her sadness that when she was sorting through my grandmother’s keepsakes and special things, with years of history at my mother’s fingertips, she realized that most of her lovely things had never been used. My grandmother used to say “that’s for good”, I am keeping that “for good”. The silk blouses that my mother had given her as gifts, her lovely China and Silver, it was all beautifully wrapped and protected waiting for those special moments that didn’t come often enough, or at all.
That had such an impact on me. I feel that “good” can be every day. I do use my China and Silver every day. There is such a difference when I use them, it elevates the every day meal to something special, and shouldn’t we celebrate every day? I confess that I don’t mind hand washing my China and Silver. I am connecting with those beautiful pieces and studying their loveliness while I do. Even after a large gathering such as Christmas, when I have 8-10 place settings and silverware to wash, I wait until the happy day has concluded, make myself a cup of tea, have some music on in the background and reflect on the wonderful time we had as I wash those pieces. I definitely use my dishwasher for many things, and there are times when I will put my fine China and Silver in it on the gentle cycle, but it’s not often. Washing by hand is how I connect with the pieces.
Vintage China and Silver is having a moment. There are many collections being sold at auction houses and consignment shops, and their prices are rising. The Artistry that was prevalent for our ancestors just doesn’t exist anymore. Manufacturers are not hand-painting or producing exquisite designs with gold and silver edges anymore as they respond to demand and changing desires. Many people in our generation are inheriting China and Silver and our first instinct is to sell it. With horror we imagine spending an entire afternoon a few times a year polishing silver (as my girlfriend remembers her mother doing). I will only say, resist the urge to sell if you love the China and Silver. If you use your Silver flatware every day, or nearly every day as I do, you will not have to polish it. Rotate the Silver if you inherit more servings than you would use on a daily basis. And fine China will stand up to the very occasional dishwasher on the gentlest cycle. The key is to use the gentlest cycle and the gentlest of dishwasher soap. It must be phosphate free and not include lemon or bleach as these products contain acid that is harmful to the surfaces and finishes.
We can all relate to being busy with work, or family, or both…so while we may feel we just have too much on the go right now to deal with fine China and Silver, years from now when things are less frantic, you will not regret having kept those pieces. And I have found that hand-washing my China and Silver adds an extra 15 minutes to my evening, and what a trade-off it is! I enjoy every bite so much more.
You can find Spode Stafford Flowers China and Paragon Rockingham Green China on Etsy and eBay, Lenox Vintage Jewel China and Grand Baroque Sterling Silver at Replacments.com, and Puiforcat Elysee Sterling Silver flatware and Moser Splendid Gold-rimmed Glassware at William Ashley.
Vintage Puiforcat Elysee and Paragon Rockingham Green
Spring Tea with Spode Stafford Flowers
Easter Table with Wallace Grand Baroque Silver and Wallace Vintage Jewel China
Easter Table
Celebration with Moser Splendid