55th Annual Delaware Show

Some dinnerware designs depict natural wonders such as Niagara Falls or imagined scenes from the travels of explorers, including Christopher Columbus. Other plates and dishes copy images from natural history books or prints. Designs for the whole family feature displays at zoos, while animals on alphabet plates encourage children to learn to read. More generalized floral designs can be seen on flatware with earthenware or porcelain handles; some rare spoons are even made entirely of ceramics (fig. 5). Proceeding further into Dining by Design, guests pass through a portal with classical columns and enter an area dedicated to nature designs created in Western (primarily European) artistic styles. Ancient patterns feature Bacchus, the god of wine, and grapevines, symbolic of fertility and autumn. Also from antiquity are patterns inspired by Aesop’s Fables, such as The Tortoise and the Hare. Adam and Eve are shown in the earliest garden of all, Eden. Nearby, a pyramid of centerpieces made from dozens of seashell-shape dishes entices the eye (fig. 6). Fig. 5. A dramatic display features rare forks, knives, and spoons made of ceramics. Fig. 6. This gallery focuses on nature as seen in Western artistic styles. — 39 —