Oriental Foo Dog Tablescape

Over sixty years ago, our Mother was gifted a pair of Oriental Foo Dogs - after her passing, I inherited them (or as the family lovingly says, I got stuck with them....) I asked Pat to use them on a tablescape recently, and here is what she came up with:

Dinnerware is a mixture of "Imari Fan" by Arita and "Meadow" Fiesta(ware)

Pat used light "Bamboo" flatware by Cambridge

Once again, Pat used two chargers - a "Meadow" Fiesta(ware) Chop plate for color and a gold leaf lacquer charger to hold it

The light amber goblets are from Pier 1 - one of my very last purchases before the store closed

Foo Dogs are actually lions  - some people say they resemble ChowChow and/or Shih Tzu dogs - hence the name "dog"

The original Foo Dogs were very large and meant to be outdoors - displayed as guardians for the home

Meant to be in pairs, one dog is female (she represent "yin" and symbolically protects people living in the home) and the other Foo Dog is male (he represents "Yang" and protects the structure itself.)

There is a right way and a wrong way to position the pair of Foo Dogs - They should always be together with the female on the left to ensure harmony.

From the other end of the table

Where it came from:
Bamboo Place Mats - from Pier 1 in Washington eighteen years ago
Gold Leaf Chargers - from Costco years ago
Green Charger - "Meadow" Fiesta(ware) Chop Plate by Homer Laughlin from Replacements.com
Dinnerware - "Imari Fan" by Arita from eBay
Bread and Butter Plate - "Meadow" Fiesta(ware) Appetizer Plate by Homer Laughlin from Replacements.com
Flatware - "Bamboo" by Cambridge from Amazon five or six years ago
Amber Glassware - from Pier 1 this year
Napkin - from Linentablecloth.com (a really neat site for inexpensive linen and wedding supplies)
Bamboo Napkin Ring - from Pier 1 two years ago
Candle Holders - from the Cancer Society Discovery Thrift Shop three years ago

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ 

Art Deco Tablescape

Simply put, Art Deco is a design form that was most popular during the 1920's and 1930's and influenced the design of buildings, furniture and household items just to mention a few. When Pat saw these accent plates on eBay (it took several months to get eight of them), she knew that they would be perfect for a tablescape - especially since Art Deco is her favorite design style.

Pat took the colors for the table from this plate - gray, black and gold

The flatware handles reminded Pat of the Art Deco style

Since it is not designed for food, the accent plate would be removed before the meal

The dinner plate is black "Fun Factory" by Waechtersbach

Once again, Pat used two chargers to add depth and color

It had to be a martini glass instead of a wine glass......to go with the design period

The candle holders and matching Depression glass bowl and liner are Mt. Pleasant Black (Black Amethyst) by L.E. Smith Glass Company

Pat couldn't help using this extra large vase as the centerpiece on this table again - it was the perfect style and color

One last look from the other end of the table

Where it came from:
Antique Gold Chargers - from Tuesday Morning two or three years ago
Gray Charger - Inexpensive lacquer chargers from Michael's spray painted with plastic adhesive paint
Dinner Plate - Black "Fun Factory" by Waechtersbach from Replacements.com
Accent Plates - "Style in Motion" by WS George from eBay
Bread and Butter Plate - Black "Fiesta(ware)" by Homer Laughlin from Replacements.com
Flatware - by Jankng from eBay (still available)
Glassware - "Midnight Black" by Artland Glass from Target years ago
Mauve Napkins - from our collection
Napkin Rings - from Bed, Bath, and Beyond years ago
Depression Glass Bowl and Liner - by L.E. Smith Glass Company a gift from our Cousin
Candles - from the Ferndale Emporium (a local gift and kitchen store)
Centerpiece Vase - from Pat's collection

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ 

Close-up of the other three styles of plates in this series:

Spode Buttercup Tablescape

As the State continues to shut down (again) around us, Pat showed up to do at least one more table. This time she chose one of her favorites - Spode Buttercup. [She had so many place settings that she gave me eight for my own collection - I'm a lucky sister....She still has eighteen settings left.]

Spode "Buttercup" was produced from 1924 until 2003. Both the "older" and "newer" (1960-2003) versions were among the most popular dinnerware ever produced. [Both versions were listed in Harry Rinker's book Dinnerware of the 20th Century: The Top 500 Patterns.]

The flatware is Italian "Roma" from Horchow

The surprisingly light-weight wooden chargers are from Pier 1 several years ago

Not only did I get the dinnerware as a gift, Pat's daughter bought me the "Espresso" glassware to go with it.

Since the pattern of the dinnerware is "busy," Pat used a simple centerpiece of greenery

From the other end of the table

Where it came from:
Wooden Chargers - from Pier 1 several years ago
Dinnerware - "Buttercup" by Spode from Pat
Glassware - "Espresso Brown" by Lenox from Pat's daughter
Flatware - "Roma" by Domus Designs (Italian) from Horchow two or three years ago
Ivory Napkins and Matching Tablecloth - from Bed, Bath, and Beyond last year
Wooden Candle Holders - from Pat's collection

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/