The Shop
An Introduction to Cabbageware (Plus Ideas For Styling It This Summer)
Because produce belongs on your table in more ways than one.
If you're not familiar with cabbageware (yes, you read that correctly), we'll fill you in. Cabbageware is any ceramic—dinnerware, drinkware, snackware, you name it—that's designed to look like, well, cabbage. That's right: The same textured, leafy greens you'd find in the grocery store or at a farmers' market are replicated in the form of mugs, bowls, plates, serving platters, and even egg cups.
This trend has been around since the 18th century, according to Suzanne Harrison, a Sotheby's porcelain and ceramics specialist. In a 2013 article from the Wall Street Journal Harrison explained, “Pottery and porcelain table wares in naturalistic forms such as fruits and vegetables were widely produced in England and Europe throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.” It wasn't until the 1960s that the produce-obsessed pottery movement came to the United States.
Artist Dodie Thayer, lovingly called the “Pottery Queen of Palm Beach,” made a name for herself in the '60s with her whimsical handmade lettuce- and cabbage-inspired pieces. Soon enough, her wares were in the homes of celebrities and public figures like Frank Sinatra, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and the Duchess of Windsor. Her work gained enough of a following that a 107-piece collection of Thayer's cabbageware sold at Sotheby's auction for over $60,000 in January of 2020.
If you're sold on introducing cabbageware to your tablescape but aren't sure how to do it, don't worry. There's no right or wrong way when decorating with these fun pieces—it's all about finding the design that's right for you. If you're a fan of maximalist design, try pairing the whimsical green pieces with green cutlery, patterned napkins, and textured candleholders. If you prefer a more subtle tablescape, allow the cabbage-inspired pieces to be the focal point by surrounding them with neutral linens and clear table accessories. Easy, right?
Keep scrolling to admire (and shop) the latest additions to our Shop's cabbageware collection.
Handmade and hand-painted by artists in Portugal, this cabbage-inspired collection will blend right in at your next dinner party. All are made from earthenware clay and are microwave- and dishwasher-safe.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.