Whether rustic majolica or dainty bone china, antique oyster plates entice collectors around the world. The plates reached their peak in popularity in the late 19th century after America’s first couple, President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, Lucy, ordered a set as part of their extravagant White House china service.
Wildlife and coastal elements, particularly shells, sea life, and shore birds, are familiar themes from the era. Some mimic the style of the Hayes collection and are laid out in a popular motif where the wells are arranged to resemble a turkey.
Read the whole story in “A Pearl of a Plate” in the September 2018 issue of Southern Lady. Pick up your issue at newsstands or online.
