Benjamin Harrison White House China, 8 1/2" Plate

Made in France by Tressemanes & Vogt, hand-painted and gilt porcelain, each marked in gilt to the reverse "T.V. [within a bell]" and "FRANCE / DECORE POUR / M.W. BEVERIDGE / WASHINGTON, DC" along with "HARRISON 1892," featuring scalloped rims decorated in gilt corn and goldenrod tracery against a dark blue ground, the cavetto shot with 44 stars surrounding the Great Seal of the United States.

8 1/2 in. diameter

First Lady, Caroline Harrison, arrived at the White House in 1889 bringing not only her own kiln from Indianapolis but also her artistic talents and range of cultural interests. She was particularly fond of china painting and enlisted the help of Paul Putzki, a professional teacher, to design a service for her husband’s administration. Inspired by President Lincoln’s state china, Mrs. Harrison chose the same undecorated “blank” shape and adapted the central eagle at the plate’s center. While Putzki aided her in the execution, it was Mrs. Harrison who envisioned the strikingly designed cobalt borders with gilt tracery. Corn was chosen to typify the produce of the United States as well as a nod to her home state of Indiana, and goldenrod was added as a representation of her husband as it was his favorite native flower. The service was produced between 1891-1893 by the Limoges company Tressemanes & Vogt, and imported by M.W. Beveridge’s Washington firm located at 1215 F Street, N.W., importers of fine French China.

While she did not live to see the completion of the full set, Mrs. Harrison’s interest in china painting was influential beyond the White House walls and resulted in a rise in popularity for the hobby that went on to sweep the country in the late 19th century.

Literature:
Klapthor, Margaret Brown. Official White House China: 1789 to the Present. Second Edition,1999, pages 127-131.

Good condition; some minor areas of gilt rubbing.