Spode Camilla-Blue (Scalloped, Older) features a center design of the lovely, rose-like flower, often spelled “camellia” in the U.S. Camilla was a popular pattern - Replacements, Ltd. has on file both scalloped-shape and smooth-shape versions, in the colors blue, brown, green, red, and purple. Spode founder Josiah Spode opened the doors of his porcelain factory in 1780 - under his guidance, it introduced two important breakthroughs in English ceramics. Using bone ash, Spode was the first English china maker to achieve higher firing temperatures, resulting in beautifully detailed, longer-lasting china. The company’s second achievement was perfecting “underglaze” decorating. Intricate designs could be applied to china that would last for years without chipping or fading. These innovations were relatively inexpensive – making fine china accessible to the burgeoning English middle class.

Fostoria Versailles-Blue crystal, with its elaborate etched scrolls and plumes in an optic bowl and subtle twist at the base of its multi-sided, knobbed stem, calls to mind the magnificent eponymous palace of Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” in all its glory. Designed to impress visiting heads of state with the power of France, the palace at Versailles is perhaps the most important repository of Baroque art in the world. Like Spode’s Camilla, Versailles was produced in a variety of colors – blue, clear, green, pink, and topaz. Founded in Fostoria, OH, in 1887, the Fostoria company soon relocated to Moundsville, WV, because of the region’s abundant natural resources. After meeting decades of stiff foreign competition with classic designs and innovative glass-making methods, Fostoria was shut down by its parent company in 1983. Fostoria glass is highly sought-after by collectors today.

The delicate floral designs on the edges of Towle Madeira sterling silver are redolent of the romantic Portuguese island sometimes called “the floating garden,” or “the pearl of the Atlantic.” Towle produced the Madeira pattern from 1948 to 2002, a testimony to the quality and popularity of its design! One of our most popular silver makers, Towle is founded on the craftsmanship and artistry of the Moulton family of England, who over six generations of silver making, raised their artisanship to a high art. A young man named Anthony Towle would join William Moulton IV as an apprentice. When Moulton retired, Towle and a partner, William Jones, bought the Moulton family stock and formed Towle & Jones in 1857. With such a long history and distinguished tradition, Towle's Madeira is a pattern that resonates with skill and pride in craft.

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