The New White House China...or...Plate Envy!

Have you seen the new White House china? No? Ohhhh! All you tablescapers and fellow dish/plate addicts, hold on to your hats! It was unveiled on January 7, 2009, by First Lady Laura Bush. It seems that it has been in production for several years and took much longer than expected. It was paid for by the White House Historical Association Acquisition Trust with private funds. There are two patterns. I am showing you this less formal one first because it is my favorite. This pattern is called Magnolia Residence and is for use in the Private Residence. It has 75 place settings and will be used for smaller dinner parties and luncheons as well. The magnolia design is based on the huge, old Jackson magnolia, supposedly the oldest tree on the White House lawn, which was brought as a seedling from the Hermitage by President Andrew Jackson.

There are accompanying pieces in a nature pattern as well. I love this one! The pattern was designed in Virginia by Anna Weatherley and produced by Pickard China in Antioch, Illinois. Anna Weatherley is a real American success story. She immigrated as an adult from Hungary and has had a very successful career in creating hand-painted china. I love the ladybugs crawling around on the plate...especially the one in the middle! It's so unexpected!

Look at the detail! Do you see the little blue snail sliding along the branch? Hmmm...note to self: look for some placemats like those for Tablescape Tuesday. Oh? Did I really just say that? I'm getting sucked in.....lol!

This is the more formal pattern, the George W. Bush State China. It has 17 piece place settings and service for 320 guests. It is for large formal functions, such as dinners in the Rose Garden, and has plenty of pieces to allow for breakage, which happens even is the White House. It has the traditional eagle in the center and gold rims and was produced here in the U.S. by Lenox. I don't know about you, but I am eyeing those pearl-handled knives! They are from the Wilson White House in 1920.

Here's a close-up of the rim. I love the basket-weave detail! Mrs. Bush consulted with her floral designer Nancy Clarke and decided to use green so that it would be a little different from the more recent State china patterns, the Reagan red and Clinton yellow. Wow! Would this make great Spring or maybe Christmas china! I bet you tablescapers are creating images in your fertile minds right now! This is of one of the accompanying plates which have a smaller version of the eagle adorning the edge.

And just look at the beautiful cup and saucer! The pattern was inspired by a few remaining pieces of French china from about 1800 that the Madisons brought with them when they came to the White House. Notice that the eagle is repeated on the cup. Isn't this exquisite? Which do you like better, the formal or the informal? I know I'll probably never get a chance to be at a dinner at the White House and to see either pattern in person, but if I ever do, I'm going to ask the server to just give me an empty plate so I can sit and admire it! I'd be too nervous to eat anyway!