Upland Game by Copeland Spode is one of the first set of game bird plates I acquired.
When we were setting up the Cape House a bunch of years ago, Elise Abrams helped us select some turquoise and blue tableware to go with the “beachy” theme of the house. It was autumn that year, and she happened to have this set of game plates on hand in anticipation of American Thanksgiving. I was instantly smitten.
When I have set tables with them in the past, I’ve tended to highlight the blues and greens, pairing them with turquoise needle-etched and Venetian glasses, along with some wild blue berries that we have growing in the Cape in the fall.
The cobalt gadroon edge with blue, green and rusty red highlights is unusual for game plates, which usually have an autumn colour scheme in more earthy tones.
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- Turkey
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- Wild Duck
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- Partridge
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- Plover
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- Wild Ducks
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- Woodcock
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- Woodcock
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- Blackcock
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- Grouse
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- Pheasant
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- Wild Geese
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- California Quail
There are twelve plates in all. My favourite is the grouse with the little puffy yellow babies, one of which is plonked right on top of Mama. That plate always gets pride of place when I arrange them in the china cabinet for an autumn display.
One fine day in early fall I hauled all the dining room chairs out into our back yard and set a table for twelve, so all the plates could be included (didn’t want anyone to feel left out, especially with Grouse getting favourable attention).
On a side note, you will see I have two versions of the barley twist oak dining chairs. The ones with the cutout in the back are from England and date from the 17th century. My grandparents brought them over when they emigrated to Canada in the mid-1960s. With typical British practicality and general insouciance regarding objects less than 1,000 years old, they were in daily use when I was a child. A common saying is that Americans think 100 years is a long time; Britons think 100 miles is a long way. I’ve found that to be very true.
I inherited the chairs when my grandparents passed away. I was slightly more hesitant to use them on a daily basis, but not much, and was very pleased to come across six coordinating chairs at Country Dining Room Antiques. They’re likely from the late 1900s. So now we have ten. The padded portion of the seats pops out, and I had them all recovered in the same fabric. The “blank” for the seats is identical, apparently, because they’re interchangeable across the chairs, regardless of origin.
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- Wild Goose tureen by Kaldun and Bogle
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- Tureen detail
The Wild Goose tureen is by Kaldun and Bogle, and is from Houzz. I thought it fit right in with the theme!
I styled the table with a burlap runner from Save on Crafts as the foundation.
Beach plums, fresh red pears and oak leaves form a backdrop for the pillar candles. All free except for the pears, which were delicious!
The glasses are from Replacements.
Scintillatingly named “14196-11 Amber” by Tiffin-Franciscan, the 6.5″ water glasses were very well well priced. They pick up on the warm, sunny accents on the plates.
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- Edge Detail
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- Strutting Pheasant
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- Edge Detail
The stylized flowers around the edge are depicted in a lovely colour palette.
With so much activity centre table, I stuck to simple white, rolled napkins in grapevine napkin rings from Amazon.com.
It was such a sunny day I had a bit of trouble getting good shots without too much glare.
But the sun obliged by disappearing behind the clouds from time to time, so I hung in and snapped away. It was a very fun table to set and play around with.
I hope everyone is enjoying the extended warm weather this fall. Have a great weekend!
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
My, oh my! What an incredibly lovely table! And I learned a new word today: gadroon. I’ve never seen or heard it, and I’m always happy to learn new words…especially those pertaining to dishes! This is certainly one of the prettiest autumn patterns I’ve seen. If by comparison stuff people buy at IKEA is embryonic, your dining chairs are in the same category as Methuselah!!! That is AMAZING!!! I have never understood why so many Americans eschew the well-crafted in favor of junk. It’s truly a conundrum. We tear down perfectly good buildings, toss out great furniture, etc. I just don’t get it. Oh, well…you have done your part to preserve a part of the precious past. The chairs are gorgeous, and it’s a blessing you were able to find other chairs to complement their style. Exceptional tablescape!
Thanks so much Alycia. It’s an interesting challenge finding the right balance between preserving the past and embracing the current. One never wants to be an old fogey with hardening of the categories, but it’s also important not to just bob around on the trend of whatever is the latest and greatest. I’m lucky to have several adult kids and their spouses to present new ideas and also want to be respectful and mindful of their past. So glad you enjoyed the post. Have a good weekend.
You have such a flare for decorating a table that it’s a shame to put anything on the plates and spoil the look! I hope Himself helped you lug these chairs out and back in. Off to the UK in 5 days and will be very plate conscious. Cheers!!
Have a wonderful time in the UK! Please keep me posted on your travels, (and of course, any acquisitions!)
Himself is always good about schlepping and hauling. Especially when rain threatens 🙂
See you soon. xo
Those chairs are amazing and so nice that some are family pieces. The sentimental part of me just about swooned. I think that both the blue glasses and the gold glasses look great with those dishes. So pretty.
Hi Lorri,
My grandparents were incredibly special to me. I was lucky enough to have them right next door from the time I was about 4 until our family moved in all different directions when I was 15; they just about raised me and I’m very, very fortunate to have had them as such a calming, practical and positive presence in my life. I loved them both immensely.
It’s hard to pick a favourite with the blue and gold glasses, isn’t it? I too like both looks!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
HK
I have to scroll back up and look at your beautiful table again! Those dishes and I love that you kept your grandparents chairs. My Grandmother used to say that every scratch on furniture or fingerprint on the mirror was a memory made.
Thank you for making me think of that today 🙂
Oh – thanks so much Christine! Your grandmother was so right. What a lovely approach to the inevitable bumps and smudges that make up family life. Have a wonderful day.
Wowzers! What a fab Thanksgiving table!!
The tureen is over the top! Like a beautiful swan.
This is one of my all-time favourites. It’s unusual to find the navy/teal combination in-game plates, or even autumn tableware more generally. Copeland Spode produced quite a few different patterns in game bird plates. I picked up a really unusual set in burgundy and a fairly vibrant pink that features rabbits. They’re in the new book—Much Depends on Dinner. 🙂
My mom bought these 12 plates from an antique dealer back in 1956 and I inherited them. I’ve never seen a set of them anywhere else before. I absolutely love them and think they set a beautiful table at Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing your beautiful table!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Emily. They are indeed lovely plates! The colours are most unusual for Autumn, aren’t they?