Danish blues in summer ...

 I recently refreshed the sideboard backboards because they were patchy & the paint flakes off on the joins.  It looks much fresher again & ready for another lot of use over the summer.  

I have a sizeable collection of Ridgway's Blue Danish blue china that was gifted years ago by Olive, my late mother in law. She did not use it at all, it was stored in her attic & the box was gifted to me (along with a 12 place setting of cutlery) 

Olive used to buy modern pieces that matched the pattern because she knew I used it.  

The original Ridgway's Blue Danish is a cobalt blue pattern 

I previously gave a comprehensive history of this pattern that is used by several well known china manufacturers 

The history of the pattern is as follows:

One of the most famous patterns is ‘ Denmark’ or ‘Blue Denmark’ produced by the business known as Furnivals Ltd and its successors. The pattern has a fascinating history.

The Furnivals ‘Blue Denmark’ pattern is based on an original produced in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the 19thCentury. Its origins, however are even older and tradition has it that the pattern was brought to Europe from China or Japan at some time in the late 18th Century.

Frantz Heinrich Muller first produced the pattern at his pottery in Copenhagen at some time between 1776 and 1779. After establishing his pottery he travelled to Germany and recruited skilled workers from the Meissen factories. It is likely he also discovered and brought back what was to become known as the ‘Danish’ pattern.

Other names have been ‘Denmark’, ‘Blue Denmark’, ‘Danish Pattern’ and ‘Mussel Pattern’. Muller was a chemist and his contribution may have been the development of the characteristic ultramarine blue used on the wares. The pattern was immediately popular and when Muller’s factory was rescued by the financial support of King Christian VII and became the Royal Porcelain Factory of Copenhagen ‘Royal Copenhagen’, the ‘Danish’ pattern was central to its success – as it still is today.

On close examination the pattern consists of a repeating pattern of mussels and stylized flowers traditionally in an under-glaze blue on a white background. The pattern is complex, but not over-elaborate and sits crisply on any pure white background.

To quote from the Pottery Gazette – “The effect pleases everyone with any sense at all of neatness and clarity. It seems somehow to typify the typical Danish love of hygiene in food preparation and service, this quality being self-expressed in terms of coolness. There is a clean, satisfying, superlative beauty in it that seems to conjure up a sense of health and vitality.”

Furnivals were the most prominent of several Staffordshire potters to produce versions of the pattern based on the Royal Copenhagen original. Company records suggest that the pattern was produced from the 1850s and with virtually no modification to the pattern or shape was produced until the closure of the business in 1968.

The Dutch cheese plate is used for more than just cheese; the delft colours & patterns go well with the blues & it often holds cakes, bread, cheese, pastries etc

I might do a supper setting with blues over the summer for friends too while it is all out ... 

The blues do appear in Spring  & at Easter even along with other colours. 

I find this pattern & blues hard to style on the sideboard - what to put with it? It is stored in a large cupboard in the kitchen & we use the cereal bowls every day as they are a handy size. However, the older pieces  need to be handwashed so are only used occasionally.  

We don't have many flowers in the garden this year but some sweet peas, pink roses & purple bits lift the colour in the little flower brick. I love flower bricks because they hold the smaller blooms so well. 

I think pink & white blooms lift the intense blues of the Blue Danish pattern - perhaps it needs more pink china? What do you think? 

Any ideas will be gratefully received, thank you for stopping by, 

Dee 🍽️💐💙