PLATE #8: 10 7/8” diameter Dinner Plate by Woodmere China, recreating Thomas Jefferson’s White House China. I believe these were manufactured between 1999 and 2012. This auction is for a single 10” Dinner plate. See my other auctions to purchase more than 1.
Design: The white porcelain plate has a gold edge and is decorated with geometric crosses in diamonds with “dagger” points. I’d call them more like the points at the top of a fence. The center is graced with a shield-shaped coat of arms topped by a suit of knight’s armor. The shield features stars around its border and a "J" monogram in the center. Decoration is a beautiful royal blue or cornflower blue. The band is 1 3/4 inch wide.
Markings: Marked on the back. No original boxes or papers.
Condition Issues: Pattern loss is the most obvious wear. Please see photos for issues with this specific plate. The plates in this collection will have wear from use, such as light knife and silverware marks and wear to the gold rim. I did not observe any cracks or hairlines in the plates or glaze.
Shipping: A single plate packed and boxed weighs 4 lbs. and each additional plate in the same box adds about 2 lbs. Happy to combine shipping or provide a quote with a different carrier. USPS had the best rates for 1-2 plates. I’d imagine FedEx Home offers a better rate if you order more than a couple.
The neoclassical, Jeffersonian design is most at home gracing a formal table but the blue is too pretty to keep packed away, so by adding a little color or pattern to your linens, maybe a classic French linen stripe even, they could be versatile enough for everyday. The dining room at Monticello is either a bright yellow now, or it used to be, which is why I pulled out the little yellow napkins to try with these plates. Really, I should have done red, white and blue for a lovely Patriotic effect.
Woodmere produced a collection of historical presidential China patterns. Thomas Jefferson was our 3rd President. He was in office from 1801 to 1809. I read online that the original china was brought over from Paris, typical for the era but Jefferson spent a lot of time in France, but sadly destroyed when the White House was set on fire during the War of 1812. While it would have been the Madison’s china on the table rather than Jefferson’s, I read the British finished the meal laid out before setting fire to the Presidential mansion, as it was then called.