The Swan Table

The Swan Table:

This swan soup tureen sits on my dinning room table all year 'round. Rarely do I use it as a centerpiece in a tablescape, but it is really center stage worthy.

Today's table is formal... using very old and traditional elements. Quiet colors reign against a dark table. I wanted this table to speak of the past, because these adornments have been collected for ages and some are almost 100 years old. I am so comfortable in a style that is a marriage of the past and present. A collected feel is how I would describe it.

The inspiration for the table was not the swan but the antique cut crystal and silver coffee carafe (or wine) my daughter and son-in-law gave me for Christmas.

I also decided to dig out my Noritake "M" porcelain china. I purchased this 14 years ago just before we moved into our present home. I found this set in a local antique store. I am not sure what the pattern is, but with some brief investigation, it was made by Noritake anywhere from 1914-1940ish. I love yellow and wanted to use it in my built in hutch.

The colors are very light and like a gentle whisper of a yellow. The china has a hand painted gold scallopped edge around the rim.

I am particularly fond of the square salad/dessert plates. Square dishes are not a new phenomenon after all!

When I first saw this china it was the cup and saucer that captivated me! I knew I wanted to have a cup of hot something from it. I thought they were so beautiful and delicate. The detail inside the cups gave them such quiet importance.

I also loved the lines of the sugar bowl and creamer. These were not just auxillary pieces, they commanded to be noticed. I am using a sterling silver sugar spoon my mother-in-law gave me as a gift many years ago.

No tablecloth for today's tablescape- I wanted the beautiful mahogany wood to continue the traditional feel.

Ivory damask placemats and antique linen and ivory cotton lace napkins add texture and softness to the table. The detail in the lace and the napkin itself is lovely. Simply folded napkins show off the detail best.

The tall stemware were passed down to me from my Grandmother. They were her wedding crystal.

Fluted and slightly iridescent, very reminiscent of the early 1920's, Nani's glasses grace another table 70 years later. I use and enjoy my beloved things.

The little cordial glasses were a Goodwill find. I paid $3.00 for all of them! They are etched with a floral design and I thought they would be very pretty on this table.

Can you imagine my surprise when I opened this beauty on Christmas morning? Heavy and detailed, what a magnificent and thoughtful piece! My daughter, Jacqueline and her husband Jonathan found it in a Washington DC antique shop. It was waiting for me!!!!

Uncluttered and understated, I wanted the elements in this tablescape to shine. I wanted the formality and elegance to come from fine pieces simply put together.

With my china I have many serving pieces. A small dish and an ornate silver spoon finds a place on a corner of the table.

Yellow Primroses in Waterford bowls add a splash of color to an otherwise soft color palate. I couldn't resist these little harbinger's of spring in the dead of winter!

The Swan was a purchase from a shop in Alexanderia, Virginia just after we built our present home. Graceful and stately, I must admit it is one of my favorite things!