Royal Copenhagen Christmas Plates to Give Your Christmas Table a Royal Touch |
Posted: November 21, 2022 |
The blue and white plates from Royal Copenhagen are the most sophisticated dinnerware you could use to adorn your dining table on Christmas Eve. Stunning Danish dinnerware was once reserved for the world's most opulent homes. It was once considered a mark of royalty and prestige. Luckily, the beautiful designs are now as close as your computer, thanks to Empire Gifts' online stores, which carry the renowned Royal Copenhagen plates and collectibles at prices that everyone can afford, not just the aristocracy. In addition to their instantly recognizable Christmas plates, the company makes a wide range of other fun Christmas ornaments, mugs, and dinnerware with cute designs that often feature Danish flowers. If you're a fan of Royal Copenhagen products or just curious, keep reading to learn some interesting details. Carrying Forward the Danish Royal Lineage R. Copenhagen, a company started by the Queen in 1775, has been producing fine porcelain tableware for the Danish royal family ever since. It's been nearly 250 years! What a way to celebrate history! The Royal Porcelain Factory was the company's first name. It was the first and most well-known porcelain made in Denmark. When Queen Juliane Marie started the company, she asked that the back of each piece of porcelain be painted with three waves as a sign. The waves stand for the Oresund, the Great Belt, and the Little Belt, which are the three waterways in Denmark. Along with the craftsman's mark and the stamp depicting a royal crown, the waves are still hand-painted on each and every piece of porcelain that is shipped out of the factory today. Because the crown has changed throughout the years, it is possible to determine the age of any piece of royal Danish porcelain by comparing it to the current crown. Easily Recognizable Patterns The Blue Fluted Plain, the factory's first design, was an instant success. It depicts a motif of a chrysanthemum brought to Denmark from China. It has gained a small but dedicated fan base in modern times under the name Pattern No. 1. Some people even get the pattern tattooed on their bodies. All of the dishes, cups, and other tableware are still individually hand-painted. The well-known pattern has even inspired variants. Some of the many reinventions include the Blue Fluted Half Lace and Full Lace, the Blue Fluted Mega, the Blue Palmette, and the Blue Elements. They're just as difficult to paint, too. There are exactly 1,197 brush strokes needed to paint a blue-fluted half-lace dinner plate. Unbelievable! The Flora Danica, which can be seen at the Rosenborg Castle in Denmark, is another design that has become very well known. It is thought to be the most famous and expensive set of porcelain made by Royal Copenhagen. Catherine II of Russia was going to be presented with the magnificent service as a gift, but unfortunately she passed away while the 1,802 pieces were still being made. The set includes everything from tiny egg cups to enormous tureens, each of which is painted with wild plants that are native to the Danish country and includes everything from small egg cups to enormous tureens. In order to paint each item, the artist, Johann Christoph Bayer, took his cues from the illustrations that were found in a book about Danish flora. In the year 1863, the Flora Danica pattern was shown to the public for the second time. You can have your very own little piece of history in your kitchen cabinets if you choose one of the more than 3,000 Flora patterns that are currently available. What Makes Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Collectible? There are two main things that make antique Danish porcelain collectible: the quality of the porcelain and how important it was in Danish history. A common practice in Danish homes was to pass down complete porcelain sets from one generation to the next. Throughout its history, Royal Copenhagen has produced nearly 2,000 unique designs of hand-painted cups, bowls, and plates, and Danes take great pride in showing off their collection. The uniqueness of each piece is a further justification for its high value. Painters at the company must study their craft for four years, using brushes made from reindeer bellies or cow's ears. As a result, no two paintings of the same motif are ever the same. Each painter can quickly identify their unique work, even though the designs initially appear identical. Each painting has the signature of its creator on the back. Some of the artists have gained widespread recognition, but the majority remain unknown, giving their works an air of mystery. What about the quality of Royal Copenhagen? The heirlooms that date back decades or even centuries are excellent examples of the longevity of this collection of porcelain from Royal Copenhagen, which is known as one of the most durable in the world. This is because the company employs a particularly special method of firing their products. Following the application of the beautiful glaze, the porcelain is fired at approximately 1375 degrees Celsius and undergoes a shrinking process, losing up to 14% of its original size. Some of the pieces may be lost or destroyed in the final fire; it is possible that one out of every five pieces will be thrown away. This ensures that only the strongest pieces are left behind. What about the vibrant patterns, though? The signature blue pigment that is used by R. Copenhagen Porcelain can withstand extremely high temperatures and is added to the porcelain just before it is glazed and fired for the final time. Despite the fact that they appear to be made of delicate material, the blue fluted pieces can be safely heated in the microwave. This is also true for the vast majority of their other collections. Firsts as opposed to Seconds If you're going to spend a lot of money on an item, you need to know whether it's a factory first or second, even if the piece looks perfect. Products made by R. Copenhagen (and Alumina) that fall short of the standard of excellence are classified as "seconds." An extremely thin line is etched between the three lines using a diamond cutter. Pieces that were sold at a reduced price in the factory store were considered seconds. However, it is still dependent on how rare and popular the piece is. The Tenera and Baca series pieces from the 1950s and 1960s are frequently identified as seconds. Is it safe to put Danish porcelain in the dishwasher? Many, but not all, of the company's products can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Some traditional porcelain pieces, like the ones below, are decorated with underglaze and high-fired so they can be put in the dishwasher safely.
On the other hand, if you have a Flora Danica or Star Rifle Christmas piece, try to wash it by hand most of the time and only use a dishwasher on rare occasions. You should read the care instructions for each R. Copenhagen product you own to determine if it can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|