Who can resist a strawberry server?
This quintessential Victorian serving piece has provided us with some of the most beautiful and whimsical majolica serving pieces to ever grace a table. Victorians were wild about strawberries! They grew them in their conservatories and always had some on hand when guests came to call. Often with separate sugar and cream containers as well as special spoons for serving, just about every company, from Minton to the tiny Etruscan Works had them but the greatest of the strawberry server manufacturers has to be George Jones.
The elegance, whimsey and beauty of the Jones servers are very hard to match. In addition, they made so many different types they're tough to keep track of.
Take a look at these:
George Jones Marie strawberry server
George Jones individual strawberry server
Not to be left out in the cold, other English companies like Minton, Wedgwood, Adams & Bromley, Copeland and Holdcroft made them as well.
Minton individual strawberry plate
Minton individual strawberry plate
Minton individual strawberry plate
Minton majolica strawberry plate
Wedgwood majolica strawberry platter
Wedgwood strawberry service
Wedgwood Argenta strawberry service
Wedgwood strawberry server
Wedgwood majolica strawberry server
Wedgwood strawberry server
Holdcroft strawberry server
Holdcroft strawberry server
Holdcroft majolica strawberry server
Other potteries like Forester, Victoria Pottery, Sarreguemines and Onnaing also contributed to the available choices as did many unknown potteries.
Victoria Pottery strawberry server
Sarreguemines strawberry server
Onnaing strawberry basket
French strawberry server
Forester strawberry server
Dressler majolica strawberry server
Zsolnay strawberry server
Possibly by Forester
With all these choices, you'd think it would be enough but unfortunately, we've just scratched the surface. There were plates, massive centerpieces and modest little dessert dishes all with strawberry themes, with the intention of enchanting those at the Victorian table.
I leave you today with one more, the American Etruscan Strawberry server, a copy of the Wedgwood piece shown above and very rarely marked. The intention to not mark it was to fool people into believing they were buying the more expensive imported ware. This is how the ware was described by a local newspaper on a tour of the Etruscan Works in 1882:
“By the side of the strawberry dishes was another made by one of the most celebrated manufacturers of England. The ones made at the Phoenixville works were similar in form but the details were more carefully worked up while the glazing and coloring was, we think, superior to the English article.”
Certainly a sterling, if overly enthusiastic, recommendation!
This post has been updated since it was first published
The strawberry servers have always intrigued me. They are universally delightful. Thank you for the comparison and enchanting photos.
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