"CHRISTMAS" :
"THE 'DO's
&
THE DINNERS"
The Christmas Party ...!!
starts at half after 5:00.
Time's drawing near for the guests to arrive!
The table's been set with candles and mulled cider
In the kitchen's brewing a pot of hot chowder.
It will be such a spread!
Honey, where's the French bread?
And will you brown the roast beef in the new infrared?
I'm so looking forward to old friends and new faces
As we open our home and exchange warm embraces
Now, what do we have for serving and such?
Mercy me - there's
so
very much!
But First ... A MUG OF 'HOT CIDER' ?
( WHILST WE FINISH SETTING THE TABLE ) ...
Rare Queen Anne 'Britannia Standard' Small (or Child's) 'Mug'
Matthew Cooper, London, 1705-6, 3.5" High
and A Charles II Silver Child's Trefid Spoon
Steven Venables Junior, London, 1684, scratch initials 'F*N'
Kangxi Famille Verte Small "Tankard"
China, c1662-1722, marked verso with a lingzhi
Ref (in underglaze blue) : "Tankards and Mugs", Jorge Welsh, 2016,
and "Chinese Porcelain", Duncan MacIntosh, 1994
PLEASE HELP YOURSELF TO SOME GRAPES & CINNAMON BAGELS :
Pair Octagonal Blue & White
'Lotus'
Dishes
Yongzheng / Early Qianlong, c1735-40
(The 'lotus'
symbolizes great purity - unsoiled, yet arising from the mud.)
(Ref : China for the West, Vol. II, Howard & Ayers)
resting on
A Very Good Early George III Silver Adjustable Dish Cross
John Langford II & John Sebille, London, 1766
... AND MAYBE OF INTEREST ...
TWO SERVICE DISHES
RECALL THE DUTCH
'TULIP FABLES' :
Ming Dynasty Kraak Porcelain Charger, 12.5"
China, c1630-50
Rinaldi, Border IX, with
"Dutch Flowers"
In the late 1500s, tulips arrived in Holland from Turkey. They were
immensely popular
The exorbitant sums paid for the bulbs even caused a financial "tulip bubble".
In the 1630s, the Dutch V.O.C. wrote to China, ordering porcelain
painted with flowers, specifically after 16th century
"Iznik tiles"
(below center),
which had featured stylized
tulips (of
course), along with carnations and lotus
These now so-called
"Dutch Flowers"
are seen in the above charger roundel
in the central borders and rim panels of both Chinese chargers.
These orders also began to introduce "Western drawing perspective" into Chinese depictions.
Ming Dynasty Kraak Porcelain Charger, 12.5"
China, c1630-50
Rinaldi, Border IX, with
"Figural Center"
NOW WHERE'S THAT EXTRA SEATING FOR YOUNG SUE & AUNT MABLE...?
"Brighton Pavilion"
Bamboo & Caned Child's Armchair
China, 1st half of the 19th century,
in remarkable condition
A Simple & Elegant George I / II Walnut Veneered Upholstered Stool
England, c1720-40
NEXT, THE "VERY BEST SILVER" TO SPOON & TO SERVE..
WE HAVE STILTON, & CRANBERRY, & DELECTABLE HORS D'OEUVRES :
Fine William IV Silver Military Thread Basting Spoon
Paul Storr,
London, 1835, crested
for the family of
'Astley'
Queen Anne Hanoverian Ivory-Mounted 'Britannia Standard' Spoon
England, Marks Rubbed, 1704-5
Fine Victorian Ivory-Mounted Stilton Cheese Scoop
Mappin & Webb, Sheffield, 1878
And 'CASTERS', TO SPREAD
"SUGAR & SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE"
(As, "That's what
'Christmas'
is made of, made of
....")
Too often we regard "casters"
just for sprinkling salt and pepper - or sugar.
However, the Christmas spices, their intoxicating aroma and tastes,
are an integral part of Christmas, and Christmas foods.
Among the traditional Christmas spices are :
Allspice
Nutmeg
Coriander
Vanilla
Star Anise
Green Cardamom
Cloves
Cinnamon
Ginger
as well as Powdered Sugar.
Most of these aromatic enhancements, when ground,
can also be individually sprinkled - to taste - by casters.
(Many of them are also in Christmas hot mulled ciders and wines).
Rare Pair George I 'Britannia Standard' Octagonal Casters
Thomas Bamford, London, 1722
A 'SPICE' WITH ITS OWN SMALL DISPENSER IS
'NUTMEG'.
From 1511 through the 1600s, nutmeg was treasured and defended
with force by the controlling nations, first Portugal, then Holland.
Nutmeg was reputed to have medical, magical and love-potion qualities,
as well as enhancing the taste of foods.
And by the late 1600s, silver nutmeg graters had become part of any fine gentleman's attire.
William & Mary William III Teardrop Silver Nutmeg Grater
The cover with scratched initials "IT"
George III Engraved Silver Nutmeg Grater
Thomas Willmore, Birmingham, 1800, Initials "MG"
AND FOR THE SLICED ROAST & THE FRENCH BREAD,
Garnished with
cranberries in rich 'Christmas red' :
George III Old Sheffield Plate Meat Dish
Matthew Boulton, England c1810-15
"Double Sun with Faces" Mark
FOR
DESSERT
... WE'VE CAKES & PUDDINGS SUBLIME!
Also SPECIAL SPOONS & FORKS with which TO DINE :
What is Christmas without Traditional 'Christmas Pudding' :
George IV Silver Waiter / Salver
William Bateman, London, 1825
with lion's paw feet, and bearing the Arms of'Goodwyn'
the pudding
crowned with clotted cream,
generally served from a small silver boat
, as below :
George III Silver Cream or 'Mint' Boat
William Sudell, London, 1767
However, these small silver boats were also used for
melted butter and dessert sauces -
sometimes as known as
"Mint Boats",
for "secret mint sauces" :
a British favorite since the 16th century - 'click' for a traditional recipe
All to be eaten with quite special Private-Die Dessert Spoons :
Set of Six George III Silver 'Private Die-Stamped' Dessert Spoons
John Lampfert, London 1770
Crested with an
eagle's head, ducally gorged, for "Ellison", London
Then followed by sugary SWEETMEATS :
George II Opaque Twist Glass Sweetmeat Dish, Oversewn Foot,
England, c1750
Also served with
a special tiny three-tine fork,
known as
A Sweetmeat Fork :
Scarce William & Mary Engraved Silver Trefid Sweetmeat Fork
'TN Crowned', England, c1690
The 'TN Crowned mark' has been found on several similar sweetmeat forks
OF COURSE, WE'LL FINISH WITH THE FINEST OF WINES ...
'Decanted for the best taste and aroma' :
George III Cut & Engraved Decanter
'Jacobite Sympathy', England, c1770
with concave 6-petaled roses, buds and a "jaybird in flight",
amongst a spray of additional 6-petaled roses and buds
Do come again soon, and to you, "Good Cheer",
Til we meet again...and for Christmas next year!
Also See :
Christmas :
The Decorations
Christmas : "Don't Open 'til December 25th"
It's Christmas!
This Christmas we have featured the drawings and paintings of young children.
May their exuberance and spontaneity of expression
recall for each of us a bit of that childhood excitement we knew as
we once awaited Christmas ... and Santa's arrival on our own rooftops.
Additional Notes of Interest :
The Christmas illustrations by children, in crayon, marker, and gouache :
Creative Commons; and by lease through Shutterstock and Dreamstime
The Iznik tile panel with flowers, Fritware (stonepaste), transparent glaze,
painted underglaze on slip. Turkey : Iznik, second half of the 16th century,
Louvre Museum, Paris, Creative Commons
Inventory Images : Millicent F. Creech
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