The Adorable 1950s Cookie Jar That Deserves A Spot On Your Thanksgiving Table

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Around Thanksgiving time, the harvest theme dominates tablescape designs. Although items like pumpkins and brilliantly-colored fall leaves get their fair share of attention, so too does corn in all its golden, husk-wrapped glory. Knobby pieces of corn on the cob complete with multi-hued kernels often adorn tabletop wreaths, accenting the candles they encircle. And while these are beautiful options, they may not speak as deeply to those of us who like decor that leans toward the nostalgic. Take, for example, the Shawnee Corn King (or later, Corn Queen) cookie jar, circa 1950s-ish. It might just be the item the retro-lovin' table stylist among us craves. 

With its face of plump corn kernels and a suit of leaves that would please even the Jolly Green Giant, this cob-shaped cookie jar is sure to bring a sense of fun to your tablescape design faster than you can say, "Please, pass the corn." Originally intended to be a specialty giveaway item for Procter & Gamble, the Shawnee Pottery Company in Zanesville, Ohio, actually made several versions of the cookie jar. Its earliest iteration, the White Corn Ware, came out in 1941 and featured, unsurprisingly, white kernels of corn. By the mid-1940s, the 10½-inch cookie jar's kernels morphed from white to yellow. Still another change in 1954 lightened the kernels of corn, but darkened the suit of leaves that encased them.

Shawnee produced the corn-oriented line until 1961. Nowadays, collectors can find one on the likes of sites like eBay, where it isn't unusual to see the jar priced between $50 and $100 or more. Some of Shawnee's corn-themed ceramics, which include not only the cookie jar but also other corn-inspired dinnerware items like salt and pepper shakers and butter dishes, can go for $300 and more.

Because ears of corn are common in styles like country and farmhouse decor, colorful accents like this Erunponly Orange, Yellow, and Green Autumn Table Runner will make the cookie jar stand out by giving it a backdrop that sets it apart from the rest of the table. Such a piece matches the cookie jar's color story and would tie other decorative elements on the table, like linens, into the overall scheme. 

Additionally, you could assemble a table wreath made of corn husks. If you make the center hole of the wreath large enough, the cookie jar could nestle neatly inside it. And flanking each side of this centerpiece with something like these Liwu-Liyi Corn Cob Taper Candles will light up your holiday table in a cute and whimsical way that's on point with the cookie jar's vibe. Of course, items that come from Shawnee's line of corn-shaped products would also make great accessories to the table's corn-cob focal point, too.

Shawnee manufactured its cookie jars during an era when artisans were producing pottery that was meant to push back against the vulgarity of industrial mechanization. The pieces that companies like Roseville, McCoy, and Shawnee made were functional, but they were also small works of art that celebrated and even elevated the commonplace. When it comes time to decorate your dining table for Thanksgiving, it might be helpful to keep that in mind as you choose decor items to complement the corn-shaped cookie jar.