Dinnerware Diary

Fostoria "Wedding Ring" Cordial

This exquisite cordial in the "Wedding Ring" pattern by Fostoria stands 3-inches tall with a convex bowl that flares at the top, an elegant multi-sided stem, and chic platinum trim. A cordial is typically a miniaturized goblet for drinking liqueurs. The term "cordial" is derived from the Latin word for "heart" (cordialis), making the "Wedding Ring" cordial especially appropriate, as it was once believed that a vein ran directly to the heart from the third finger on the left hand (the traditional wedding ring finger in some Western cultures).

Cordials date back to the 1600s, when they were used to administer different alcohol-based concoctions believed to be good for one's general health, and especially good for the heart. Over time, cordials began to be used more for recreation than for wellness. Today, cordials are used to serve liqueurs like schnapps and other sweet, dessert-like after-dinner drinks. Because modern crystal manufacturers have decreased production of such pieces, many crystal cordials have become highly collectible and rare. Crystal cordials are often miniature versions of a given water goblet pattern, which is another reason for collector interest - the process to retain all the intricacies of a large water goblet in a miniature crystal replica requires a degree of adroitness and craftsmanship that adds to the collectability of these pieces.


Fostoria, the maker of the cordial featured here, was founded as a glass-producing house in 1887 in Fostoria, Ohio. Although the townspeople of Fostoria had given their land to the glass company for free, the company's leaders moved the company's facilities to Moundsville, West Virginia in 1891, in search of more abundant natural resources.

By 1925, Fostoria's factory had expanded to include five more furnaces. Primarily, the company produced decorative lamps and stemware pieces for the American home. Competing actively against Cambridge, Heisey, and Westmoreland Glass, Fostoria would soon emerge as the leader in the American glassware market. It is during this period that Fostoria began marketing lines of colored dinnerware and stemware pieces. The new products became an immediate success, being ideal for the emergence of more casual home entertaining.

Throughout the 1930s, Fostoria struggled to survive. The Great Depression had a notable impact on the luxury glassware market. Although many of Fostoria's competitors would be forced out of business during the Depression, innovative marketing techniques and business-savvy managers would allow Fostoria to survive. World War II reduced Fostoria's labor force by half and caused much of the company's resources to be devoted to the war effort. Like many other companies in the United States, Fostoria weathered the hardships imposed by war. It is during the WWII period that Fostoria produced many of its most famous patterns including Chintz (1940), Colony (1940), Romance (1942), and Holly (1942).


Following World War II, Fostoria would begin its most aggressive expansion. Its labor force was increased to its pre-war number, more natural resources were made available to the company, and the demand for casual and elegant dinnerware would increase to an all-time high. New technologies developed during the war allowed Fostoria to create beautiful, elegant patterns that were easily maintained. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Fostoria introduced more lines of beautiful crystal including Century (1950), Rose (1951), Wedding Ring (1953), and Jamestown (1958).

The company continued to do well through the 1960s and 1970s, in part due to a marketing strategy that created a new form of consumer-producer relationship. Fostoria boutiques and display rooms were built into many fashionable jewelry and department stores, and the company began publishing its own consumer direct magazine, "Creating with Crystal." These and other marketing strategies kept Fostoria as a leader in the glass producing industry.

Increased foreign competition during the 1970s took its toll on the once-successful business, and Fostoria was forced to sell its stock and the Moundsville factory to the Lancaster Colony Corporation. Although Lancaster Colony closed Fostoria in 1983, the Fostoria name is indicative of an American legend, and Fostoria pieces remain highly collectible.

Exquisite Rose-themed Tableware Designs

First produced in 1951, Delaware (New York) by Haviland is scalloped-rimmed, cream-colored china with delicate, beautifully rendered roses decorating the center and rim, and an embossed edge with gold trim. The story of Haviland China begins in 1841, when David Haviland of D.G. & D. Haviland Trading Co., New York, embarked with his wife, Mary, and son, Charles, for France. Their destination was Limoges, a city 200 miles southeast of Paris, world-renowned for its production of fine porcelain. The region was rich in kaolin, cream-colored clay that yielded superior porcelain. Haviland, intent on producing the world's finest china, obtained permits from the French government to build a state-of-the-art china factory in 1853. Haviland refused to send his pottery to Paris for decoration as most other potters did at the time; instead, he decorated his own creations. Within two years, Haviland's keen business sense and ingenuity had aided him in establishing one of the most advanced china producing facilities of its time.

Elaine-Clear crystal by Cambridge flares at the top, with a graceful, cascading floral design etched on the concave bowl. The stem of the glass is ornate, with a textured, molded design, and a round foot. This shapely, intricate pattern is the epitome of elegance! The Cambridge Glass Company was founded in 1873, when a group of businessmen from the town of Cambridge, Ohio chartered a glass producing facility.  Most of the company's early designs were heavy, pressed-glass patterns. The company achieved steady growth during the early part of the twentieth century, and during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s the company released its most successful shapes, colors, and etchings. In 1931, the company debuted its very successful Rose Point etching, as well as the popular Nude Stems collection.  Many of the company's most famous colors were developed during this period, including "Carmen," "Crown Tuscan," "Royal Blue," and "Heatherbloom."  Soon after the end of World War II, the company began to experience declining sales. In 1958, the company closed its doors, and Imperial Glass acquired all of Cambridge's molds and equipment.  While the Cambridge company is now closed, its legacy lives on at Replacements.

Produced from 1958 to 1997, Rose Elegance is a gorgeous sterling pattern by Lunt Silver.  Rose Elegance features a beautiful rose design that adorns a handle with a scrolled edge. The floral design elements of Rose Elegance make it the perfect flatware accompaniment for the Delaware (New York) and Elaine-Clear patterns above. Lunt was founded as the A. F. Towle & Son Mfg. Co. in 1880 in Newburyport, MA. Towle and his son left the company and built a new factory in Newburyport under the name A.F. Towle & Son Company. After moving to Greenfield, MA, in 1890, the firm went into automobile manufacturing and produced one of the first "horseless carriages" in America. Lack of financing caused the endeavor to fail, and George C. Lunt, who had been apprenticed to Towle, established Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen Company in 1902. Since 1935, the company has used the trade name Lunt Silversmiths. The company's Embassy Scroll pattern has been selected by the U.S. government as the official tableware for all U.S. consulates and embassies.

Alluring Designs for a Gorgeous Table

Calico-Blue (Burleigh Backstamp) by Staffordshire is a charming blue transferware pattern first produced in 1960. Transferware pieces are created using copper engraving to apply an image to a special tissue, which is then is applied to an earthenware, pottery, or ceramic base and fired to produce a detailed rendering of the artist's engraving. Indigo blue, the blue found between blue and violet on the traditional color wheel, has historically been the mainstay color for the most iconic transferware patterns. The inspiration for the striking Calico-Blue (Burleigh Backstamp) pattern is "calico" - a type of cloth known for its distinctive, all-over floral print.  It's believed that Staffordshire's Calico-Blue (Burleigh Backstamp) is based on an 18th-century version of this floral fabric design.

Tuilleries/Villandry by Cris d'Arques/Durand is a beautiful blown glass pattern featuring an exquisite design, an elegant shape, and a variety of ornate, decorative cuts. The sophisticated design of Tuilleries/Villandry perfectly complements the intricate designs of the accompanying Calico-Blue china and Affection flatware. Tuilleries/Villandry is produced by J.G. Durand, which is the world's largest manufacturer of lead crystal. Cris d'Arques is a Durand line made in the city of Arques, France. As a French company, J.G. Durand is known for exhibiting great national pride via the expression of the grand architectural and artistic heritage of France. For that reason, many Cris d'Arques patterns, like Tuilleries/Villandry and Versailles, are named after castles and chateaus throughout the country.

Produced from 1960 to 2004, Oneida Affection is a superb silverplate pattern that features a graceful floral design and glossy finish. Oneida, Ltd. grew out of the original Oneida Community founded in upstate New York by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848. This Christian communal society was based upon the principles of individual self-perfection and shared property. Many products were manufactured by the Oneida Community, including silk, chains, and, eventually, some of the world's most recognizable, high-quality, and beautifully designed flatware. During World War I and World War II, Oneida began producing many products for the U.S. military, including ammunition clips, combat knives, surgical instruments, and silverware for the Army and Navy. When stainless steel was introduced to the market in the early twentieth century, it failed to make an immediate impression on the flatware industry. Oneida, however, decided to shift its focus from sterling to stainless flatware production. Strong research and development greatly improved the quality of stainless steel as a dinnerware material, facilitating Oneida's success in the stainless flatware market. Today, Oneida, Ltd. is positioned to continue being a leader in the tableware industry for generations to come.

Exquisite Design, Traditional Elegance

Beautifully named Amapola (Spanish for "poppy") by Villeroy & Boch features exquisitely rendered, embossed poppy designs on the rim that spill onto the well of the plate.  Concentric, intertwined green stems on the rim complete the design. Amapola is a showcase pattern for Germany's Villeroy & Boch, founded in 1748. Its longevity is not the only rare characteristic of the company in a modern corporate world. Despite the ravages of World War I and the Second World War, Villeroy & Boch remains a family owned company; the eighth generation of the founders actively creates and produces tableware designs. Villeroy & Boch is the world's largest producer of ceramics. Its wares include egg cups, bath tubs, the tiles in New York City's Holland Tunnel, and table settings for the Vatican in Rome.

Lenox Crystal Aria features a twisted stem, a round foot, and a convex bowl. Since the 1950s, about half the china sets on dinner tables in this country has borne the Lenox backstamp. Responding to consumer demand, Lenox introduced a line of hand-blown crystal to complement its china in 1966. In 1991, again responding to consumers, Lenox began to produce silver flatware, making it the first company in America to offer the complete tabletop.

Oneida Sheraton is a superb stainless pattern that features embossed bands, rope-like filigree, and a floral design at the tip of each teardrop shaped handle. Oneida, Ltd. grew out of the original Oneida Community founded in upstate New York by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848. This Christian communal society was based upon the principles of individual self-perfection and shared property. Many products were manufactured by the Oneida Community, including animal traps, silk, chains, and, eventually, some of the world's most recognizable, high-quality, and beautifully designed flatware. During World War I and World War II, Oneida began producing many products for the U.S. military, including ammunition clips, combat knives, surgical instruments, and silverware for the Army and Navy. When stainless steel was introduced to the market in the early twentieth century, it failed to make an immediate impression on the flatware industry. Oneida, however, decided to shift its focus from sterling to stainless flatware production. Strong research and development greatly improved the quality of stainless steel as a dinnerware material, facilitating Oneida's success in the stainless flatware market. Today, Oneida, Ltd. is one of the world's largest marketers of stainless steel flatware, positioned to continue being a leader in the tableware industry for generations to come.

Wood & Hughes "Medallion" Punch Ladle

This beautiful silver "Medallion" punch ladle was produced by Wood & Hughes around 1850. Punch bowls and ladles have been common household items since the mid 1600s. The earliest punch bowls were ceramic, and often intricately decorated. The accompanying punch ladles looked much the same as they do today, with long handles and an upturned bowl, although some of the more elaborate ladles showcased handles made from carved whalebone or wood.

The first version of punch is thought to have been created sometime in the early 1600s. This drink, which typically consisted of five main ingredients (liquor, sugar, citrus juice, spices, and water), was first created by either natives of India or by British sailors using ingredients they found in India. The name "punch" is believed to be derived from the Indian word "panch" or "five," signifying the five basic ingredients that make up the drink (although this, too, is in dispute; the name may also be a shortened form of the word "puncheon," a cask for spirits or wine). Punch is the first known mixed drink to incorporate a distilled spirit, and the alcohol portion of early-1600s punches was arrack - a type of liquor made using coconut flowers, sugarcane, fruit, or rice.

By the 1650s punch had become a standard drink on British sailing vessels, and it was soon equally popular on land, where the communal punch bowl became a fixture in British "punch houses," taverns, and homes alike. When punch first arrived in England, the arrack used in India was replaced with brandy, beer, or wine, although rum soon became the standard spirit of choice. Punch reigned supreme until the early- to mid-1800s, when the cocktail came into vogue. Cocktails (which are, in essence, punch made in individual glasses), have been the most prevalent way to imbibe mixed drinks ever since, although in recent years there has been a revival of interest in classic punch recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The maker of this silver punch ladle, the Wood & Hughes Silver Company, opened in 1833 when William Gale partnered with Jacob Wood and Jasper Hughes. The partnership was a perfect match because Jacob Wood and Jasper Hughes apprenticed under William Gale. From 1833 to 1845, the company was known as Gale, Wood & Hughes. The exact reason for William Gale's name being dropped from the company's moniker is uncertain. What is known is that the company changed its name to Wood & Hughes in 1845. The company produced general silver wares until 1899 when the firm Graff, Washbourne, and Dunn purchased Wood and Hughes. Gorham Silver purchased Graff, Washbourne, and Dunn in 1961.

Charming Blue & White Tableware – Impeccable Artistry

Liberty Blue by Staffordshire is a charming ironstone pattern decorated with various blue & white Revolutionary War-era American scenes (the dinner plate featured here showcases a depiction of Philadelphia's Independence Hall). Produced from 1975 to 1981, Liberty Blue was commissioned by a supermarket chain based in New Jersey to be offered as a premium. Produced in Staffordshire, England, this pattern features a "Wild Rose" border design that dates to 1784 and decorations based on places, people, and events connected to the Revolutionary War. Other designs in this gorgeous multi-motif pattern include depictions of the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's Ride, the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, and others.

Iris-Cobalt Blue, a bold blown glass pattern produced by Artland Crystal, features a delightful air bubble design and a vibrant blue color. This eye-catching glassware design serves as the perfect complement to the blue and white Liberty Blue china and the understated Country French stainless patterns. The floral namesake of this dazzling glassware has an interesting history of its own. The word "iris" is derived from the Greek word for "rainbow," and for good reason - there are over 300 classified species of irises in a vast array of colors. Iris rhizomes have historically been used to produce medicine and perfume, and various parts of the iris are also used to provide flavor and color to several brands of gin. The beauty of the iris flower has inspired many artists through the years, perhaps most notably in a series of iconic paintings by Vincent van Gogh. In addition, the decorative fleur-de-lis symbol is thought to be a depiction of an iris flower in bloom.

Reed & Barton's Country French is an enchanting stainless steel flatware pattern that features a chic design and a glossy finish. Country French is emblematic of its maker, Reed & Barton of Taunton, MA, a company that traces its origins to a jewelry store founded by Isaac Babbitt in 1822. After changes in ownership, the company began to use the "Reed & Barton" stamp on its silver in the 1840s. One of Reed & Barton's best-known patterns is Francis I. Introduced in 1907, Francis I quickly became a favorite of nobility and presidents. No less than four U.S. presidents dined with Francis I - Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Gerald Ford. In more recent years, the company has also been recognized for its high-quality stainless steel patterns, like the Country French pattern featured here.

Exquisite American & European Tableware Design

Pembroke-Gold Trim by John Aynsley & Sons features a sprawling, brilliantly colored floral motif based on an Asian-inspired, 18th-century Aynsley design. Aynsley China is one of the most influential companies in the British tableware industry, producing iconic designs like Wild Tudor, Cottage Garden, and the Pembroke pattern featured here. The company was founded in 1775, when John Aynsley, chairman of a local coal mine in Stoke-on-Trent, England (and a passionate collector of pottery, tableware, and ornamental pieces), decided to open a pottery business. Using local Staffordshire clay and elaborate designs created from his own engravings, he founded a business that quickly prospered.  The firm was carried on by his son, James, but it was Aynsley's grandson, John II, who would take the company to great heights. John II changed the company's focus from producing pottery to making fine bone china. Using a special formula, Aynsley produced bone china that was exceptionally strong, translucent, and white in color. As the Aynsley reputation for creating fine china grew, Queen Victoria herself took notice.  She commissioned Aynsley to produce a set of ornate tableware for her personal use. Having a commission from Her Majesty enabled Aynsley to use the royal family seal in its logo, affirming the company's reputation, and its place in dinnerware history.

Triomphe is an alluring crystal pattern whose inspiration was drawn from the couture creations of the renowned designer Christian Dior. Christian Dior burst on the design scene in 1946, when he opened The House of Dior in Paris, France. Assisted by the financial backing of Marcel Boussac, Dior designed and introduced his first clothing collection in 1947. The line was appropriately titled "New Look" and featured rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and full length skirts. In spite of the criticism surrounding his earliest work, demand for Dior designs grew quickly throughout the world. As Dior's popularity increased, he earned the title "The World's Dictator of Fashion." In 1953, Dior took Yves Saint Laurent as his protege.  Upon Dior's death in 1957, Yves Saint Laurent took over as head of the House of Dior. In a little more than a decade, Christian Dior became the most popular fashion designer of the 20th century, with designs gracing royalty and stars alike. Today, the House of Dior remains one of the most popular design houses in the world. Our featured crystal pattern this week, Triomphe, is a glorious example of tableware inspired by Christian Dior's design talent.

A scalloped tip and a delicate, graceful shape make up the beautiful design of Grand Colonial sterling, first produced by Wallace Silver in 1942. Wallace Silver, established in Connecticut nearly two centuries ago, has long been recognized for excellence in tableware craftsmanship. The founder of the company, Robert Wallace, was born in 1815 into a family of silversmiths who had emigrated to New England from Scotland. Apprenticed to William Mix, a renowned Connecticut spoon maker, Wallace purchased a dilapidated grist mill after mastering his trade, and began to produce his own silver flatware in 1833. Grand Colonial is just one of many examples of Wallace Silver's high-quality work.

English & American Tableware Craftsmanship

Cheviot-Blue by Minton, produced from 1940 to 1970, features a scalloped rim, a gorgeous blue and white color palette, and exquisite gold trim. Minton is one of England's oldest china makers. The company was founded in 1793 at Stoke-on-Trent, in the heart of England's Staffordshire china-producing region, by Thomas Minton, William Pownall, and Joseph Poulson. Along with the rise of the middle class in nineteenth-century industrial England - with greater attention to household finery and more discretionary income - came the rise of Minton. The company introduced patterns and manufacturing processes that made their high-quality china more attractive and affordable to the English middle class. They continue producing luxurious dinnerware and remain leaders in the market of tableware production and design. Replacements, Ltd. carries a number of Minton's patterns, including Haddon Hall (their most popular pattern), Bellemeade, Ancestral, and Jasmine.

Hawkes L-Rock Cut is lovely blown glass with a stylish bowl shape, bulbous stem, and round foot with a cut design. A graceful leaf design is delicately rendered with polished cuts near the top of the bowl. L-Rock Cut is an ideal complement to Cheviot-Blue china and Marlborough sterling - the balance between design and size is outstanding! The maker, T. G. Hawkes & Co., established in 1880 as The Hawkes Rich Cut Glass Works in Corning, NY, in its heyday epitomized the finest in cut glass production, creating more than 300 beautifully cut and engraved stemware patterns and other pieces. During its 82 years in business, T. G. Hawkes & Co. designed cut glass services for members of royalty and at least two U.S. Presidents. Hawkes pieces are highly prized by collectors.

Reed & Barton's Marlborough is a phenomenal sterling pattern that features a scroll edge, a plumed tip, and a glossy finish. The Marlborough sterling pattern was produced by Reed & Barton for more than 100 years, from 1906 to 2011! This elegant pattern is emblematic of its maker, Reed & Barton of Taunton, MA, a company that traces its origins to a jewelry store founded by Isaac Babbitt in 1822. After changes in ownership, the company began to use the "Reed & Barton" stamp on its silver in the 1840s. One of the company's best-known patterns is Francis I. Introduced by Reed & Barton in 1907, Francis I quickly became a favorite of nobility and presidents (no less than four U.S. presidents dined with Francis I - Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Gerald Ford). Now well into its second century of operation, Reed & Barton is a leader in finely crafted sterling silver and stainless steel.

International Silver Calling Card Stand

During the Georgian, Regency, and Victorian eras (from around 1811 to 1901), the practice of distributing small paper calling cards became popular amongst the upper classes of Europe and America. Once presented at the door, calling cards were often left in the entryway of the home on a stand like this beautiful silverplate calling card stand.

Leaving calling cards served a number of purposes: to introduce oneself to a member of society whose social circle one wished to enter; to determine whether an acquaintance was available to receive visitors; to express sympathy or congratulations; to let friends know when someone was leaving town (or had arrived back in town after an absence). These calling cards were typically small paper cards engraved with the owner's name and sometimes featuring a design. Ladies often kept their calling cards in ornate card cases, while men simply stored them in one of their pockets.

The proper time to leave calling cards and pay visits was in the afternoon of any day except Sunday, between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm (or, more specifically, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm for "ceremonial" visiting time for acquaintances, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm for a "semi-ceremonial" visiting period for those with whom you were more familiar, and 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm for more "intimate" calls). It was considered impolite to call any later than 6:00 pm or on a Sunday, which was typically reserved for visits with close friends and family.

Calling cards would be used initially to announce a visitor's presence. If the hostess was available to receive guests, the visitor would be led inside and "announced" by having the card given to the hostess. If the hostess were not at home or receiving visitors, the card would be left behind, typically on a card stand, to show who had stopped by. There existed a complex set of rules governing the proper way to leave calling cards. In her 1922 book, "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home," etiquette expert Emily Post described the proper process:

"On the hall table in every house, there should be a small silver, or other card tray, a pad and a pencil. [...] When the door-bell rings, the servant on duty, who can easily see the chauffeur or lady approaching, should have the card tray ready to present, on the palm of the left hand. A servant at the door must never take the cards in his or her fingers. When the visitor herself rings the door-bell and the message is "not at home," the butler or maid proffers the card tray on which the visitor lays a card of her own and her daughter's for each lady in the house and a card of her husband's and son's for each lady and gentleman. But three is the greatest number ever left of any one card. In calling on Mrs. Town, who has three grown daughters and her mother living in the house, and a Mrs. Stranger staying with her whom the visitor was invited to a luncheon to meet, a card on each would need a packet of six. Instead, the visitor should leave three-one for Mrs. Town, one for all the other ladies of the house, and one for Mrs. Stranger. In asking to be received, her query at the door should be 'Are any of the ladies at home?' Or in merely leaving her cards she should say 'For all of the ladies.'"

Formal visits during this era were usually short - typically between 15 to 30 minutes - and if another visitor was admitted during the first visitor's stay, it was customary for the first visitor to leave shortly thereafter. Protocol also demanded that cards and visits be reciprocated within a week's time.

The maker of the silverplate calling card stand featured here, International Silver, started as a combination of America's greatest silver manufacturers. During the American Colonial period, New England was home to many artisans producing high-quality pewter, sterling, and silverplate, primarily in Connecticut. Around 1808, Ashbil Griswold opened a pewter shop in Meriden, Connecticut. Through mergers with regional companies, Griswold's original shop grew to comprise fourteen silver manufacturers, including Holmes and Edwards (Bridgeport), Meriden Britannia (Meriden), and Rogers Brothers (Hartford). Throughout the years, International Silver products have remained immensely popular.

Graceful Designs Perfect for Spring

Homer Laughlin Fiesta-Peacock (Newer) is an iconic, Art Deco-influenced design with embossed concentric rings at the center of the plate and at the rim. Many of the plates are classified as "coupe", which means the plate has a convex shape, curving up at the side, with no defined, flat edge rim. Fiesta comes in a wide variety of solid colors that can be mixed and matched. Designed in 1936 and showing the strong influence of the Art Deco movement, Homer Laughlin Fiesta is the best-selling dinnerware in American history. Simple shapes and bold colors broke with the ornate, floral dinnerware traditions of the time, and spoke to the emerging casual lifestyle in American households. Company founder Homer Laughlin personally noted customer reactions to different colors that were being considered for the initial release of Fiesta - an early example of consumer focus groups! Today, colors are added and discontinued based on consumer tastes. In addition to an array of older pieces available for "Fiesta" collectors, Replacements, Ltd. also offers wonderful sets of newer pieces in a kaleidoscope of fun colors for setting a great "everyday" table.

Royal Pierpont-Clear is a gorgeous glassware pattern made by one of the best-known tableware manufacturers in the world, Noritake. This graceful blown glass pattern features a concave bowl that flares at the top, a swirl optic design, a pulled stem, and a round foot. Noritake produces many crystal patterns designed to complement its dinnerware. The company's crystal and glassware collection includes pieces made via many different and intricate manufacturing processes, including handmade, mouth-blown stems. Noritake's manufacturing supplies were cut off during World War II, but the company's products again became available in 1948. Many of these post-war wares were created specifically with the American consumer in mind. For Noritake collectors, there are many historical ambiguities surrounding the company; destruction of company records during the war years means that some questions will never be answered.

Old Denmark by Yamazaki Silver is an attractive 18/8 stainless steel pattern featuring a satin finish and a sleek design. Yamazaki Silver has produced the Old Denmark pattern for more than 30 years, beginning in 1981. Other popular Yamazaki patterns include Cara, Cache, Hafnia, and Gone Fishing. Yamazaki literature states, "We pride ourselves on creating and offering stainless flatware and serving accessories that are far from ordinary. From unique flatware patterns that possess fully sculpted handles with carefully finished tines, bowls and blades, to specialized serving pieces of generous proportion and ample size, each Yamazaki pattern has been designed to enhance both your table and dining pleasure."