The Vintage Dishware Pattern You Should Keep An Eye Out For When Thrifting

Whether you're an avid collector or just looking for unique pieces to display around your home, vintage dishware is always one of the most valuable items to seek out at a thrift store. To have a successful haul, however, you should always be as informed as possible. Maybe a certain piece speaks to you, maybe you find a specific pattern beautiful, but knowing the history, meaning, and value behind it will only make thrifting easier and more enjoyable. If you ever come across some vintage china that is decorated with striking pink, green, and yellow enamels and depicts serene scenes of nature and aristocracy, you may be looking at Famille Rose porcelain. 

This prized type of vintage dishware, originating from 18th-century China, is also often referred to as Rose Medallion after its most common and beloved pattern. This typically features a central circle with butterflies and birds flying around rich pink peonies, surrounded by panels of Imperial Chinese court life or more colorful flora and fauna. Don't be fooled — the rose in Famille Rose and Rose Medallion refers only to the prevalence of the color in this kind of ceramic, and not to the actual flower.

Famille Rose and Rose Medallion are valuable types of vintage porcelain that are worth looking out for in general, but, of course, some pieces will be worth more than others. Older, 18th and 19th-century pieces are more valuable not just because they're rarer, but also because they display a level of craftsmanship and detail that slowly declined with the introduction of stencils and other faster, non-handmade decorating techniques in later years. For example, the borders between panels, typically outlined by bands of c-scrolls, have more elements that are more interictally designed in earlier pieces than in recent ones, where figures are blurrier and the paint more smudged. 

Because Famille Rose, and particularly Rose Medallion, were very popular exports to the West, this is a common kind of East Asian porcelain pattern to find in second-hand markets — especially examples from the 20th century, which are still being made today. These pieces did not start getting marked until they began being exported. "China" and "Made in China" are two common stamps, with the former being older and the latter more recent. 

Before bringing home vintage items, it's important to note that these pieces should not be used for food consumption. These highly decorated pieces with vibrant colors used enamels with lead in them. Lead is more prone to leeching into food, drink, and, ultimately, the human body when the paint is worn and old, which is a given in antique dishware. Lead is toxic, especially in large quantities, and particularly dangerous for pregnant women and children. Famille Rose porcelain should be used as decor only.