When chinoiserie throws a garden party, you get this pagoda-inspired tablescape featuring plates by Mrs. Alice and lanterns from The Enchanted Home

 

 

Mrs. Alice, whose “tablescape brand” officially launched in November 2019, was founded by Alice Naylor‑Leyland, who popularized “tables in a box” kits and themed tablescapes. The scalloped-edge pagoda plates (discontinued) were my introduction; they came in two colour patterns—blue with green accents…

 

 

…and green with blue accents. I love the detailed fretwork on the doors and windows, and the delightful curved proportions of the roof.

 

 

Blue hydrangeas and green chinoiserie lanterns from The Enchanted Home extended the colour combination down the centre of the table.

 

 

Apple green juice glasses in Jeanette’s popular Cherry Blossom pattern added a touch of sparkle. Founded as Jeanette Bottle Works in 1888, the Jeannette Glass Company evolved into one of the premier producers of pressed glassware in the 20th century, particularly during the Depression.

 

 

Cherry Blossom was produced from 1930 to 1939. Jeanette’s embrace of automated production techniques made them highly efficient and competitive. By the 1940s and ’50s, they had expanded into milk glass, kitchenware, and decorative pieces for the booming postwar market.

 

 

In one of their weirder ventures, Jeannette Glass was also a pioneer in the use of uranium oxide to create a ghostly green glow under UV light. Though perfectly safe to use today (the radiation is negligible), the “vaseline glass” trend feels like a very odd chapter in design history. Who knew radioactive dinnerware could be so… collectible?  As tastes changed and imports increased in the 1970s, Jeannette struggled to maintain its market share. The company closed its doors in 1983, but its legacy endures through collectors who continue to seek out its iconic pieces.

I found modern green open salts to coordinate with the glasses.

 

 

Scalloped placemats and napkins by Rebecca Udall sit atop the tablecloth by Mrs. Alice.

 

 

I enjoy a good pagoda plate, and have a couple of others. Toile Tale by Lenox (2013–2016) is available in Amethyst and Sky Blue.

 

 

It comprises a full suite of pieces from plates to bowls to a lovely teapot. I have only the dinner and salad plates.

 

 

 “Chinoiserie” by Pottery Barn comprises a single piece, a dinner plate.

 

That got me thinking about the actual definition of chinoiserie, as the term is often loosely applied in naming tableware. It is a decorative style that reflects Western interpretations of East Asian art and architecture. In tableware, this whimsical aesthetic is expressed through:

• Pagodas and garden pavilions
• Delicate cherry blossoms, peonies, and stylized trees
• Exotic birds like cranes and pheasants
• Scrolls, fretwork, and lattice borders
• Figures in flowing robes amid romanticized landscapes

Popular since the 18th century, chinoiserie remains a timeless favourite for spring and summer entertaining. Whether rendered in classic blue-and-white porcelain or colourful modern designs, it adds an air of refined whimsy and global charm to the table.

Remember our Chinoiserie pumpkins on this table set with Mason’s Quail Blue?

 

Pagodas have long been popular as Tea Houses or Summer Houses, such as the Chinese Tea House on the grounds of Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island.

 

 

No tea was being served the day we visited, but they let us inside for pictures. Isn’t it lovely?

 

 

Back to the table for a final look. Ooops – that lantern is not straight. Oh well….

 

 

 

Enjoy the rest of the week, all. It looks like summer is finally arriving on the Cape, and temperatures will actually get into the high 70s. Allelulia! It’s been a very cool, wet start to the summer.

I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.