"It's not that easy being Green.
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things,
And people tend to pass you over . . . "
Words taken from Kermit's Famous Song IT'S NOT THAT EASY BEING GREEN
No, it's not that easy being green,
especially in the world of Quimper French pottery.
The color green is found on many pieces as an accent,
but for the primary color of this pottery to be green is most unusual.
This tea set is one of my favorites,
and I thought them the perfect dishes to share for this week's
Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen.
Green Hydrangeas and Yoko Ono Green Land Mums
This week's topic is The Good Earth
in celebration of Earth Day 2012.
I shared the story of this tea service
and how we came to own it in a post several years ago,
but with many new readers and followers
I thought it appropriate to share once again.
Others might have passed this
coffee/tea service by without much thought,
but it was love at first sight for "the chef" and me.
It's a complete service for twelve:
dessert plates, cups and saucers,
creamer, sugar, and coffee/tea pot.
A friend contacted me in the summer of 2006.
She knew of a couple who were downsizing
and wanted to sell a complete tea/coffee service.
Jacqueline, who is French and the original owner,
included a note with the special story of this set.
Soon after WWII, she and her American soldier husband,
traveled to the United States to begin a life together here.
In the summer of 1946, on a trip back to France
to visit her parents, Jacqueline and her mother visited
Brittany and the atelier of Paul Fouillen.
It was on this trip that Jacqueline's mother
purchased this set as a gift for Jacqueline.
There were actually two sets purchased at the time.
The other very different in color and design
was enjoyed by Jacqueline's mother during her lifetime.
Jacqueline's daughter now treasures the set that had been her
grandmother's, so she didn't need this set.
Lucky us!
Jacqueline told me that she carefully packed this set in her suitcase
and carried it with her on the return journey, crossing the Atlantic
by ship and then traveling by train on to Texas.
Paul Fouillen opened his atelier in the late 1920s.
He is well known for his unique designs
with both Celtic and Art Deco influences.
The wonderful hand crimped handles on each of
these pieces are glazed with a sponge technique.
Though each piece includes the concentric bands
of green color and the green checks,
there are different designs painted on
each side of the various pieces.
This magnificent tray
matches our service!
matches our service!
A very thoughtful friend and
fellow member in the Quimper Club International
sent me this tray as a surprise one Christmas.
It was a piece from
her own collection.
her own collection.
When she learned that I had purchased the dessert service,
she felt the tray should be reunited with the set.
See, it has the darling dragonfly
that is on the tea/coffee pot.
that is on the tea/coffee pot.
I've talked enough.
Won't you join me for a cup of tea?
Won't you join me for a cup of tea?
Sugar?
Cream?
How about a
little something sweet?
Help yourself to a plate
and one of these little cake forks.
and one of these little cake forks.
These beautiful linen napkins were gifts from
I'd say these are perfect for Earth Day.
"I'm green, and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!"
At times I repurpose the tea service when I want to serve a glass of ice tea. I fill the teapot with flowers, and use the creamer to hold spoons. Don't you agree that the colors and motifs of flowers and dragonflies are the perfect compliment to celebrate The Earth?
Happy Earth Day 2012
Joining
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