Saucer
Saucer inscribed "Shakers Mt. Lebanon NY"
12/1886
Description
White porcelain saucer. Around the rim there are two thin black lines with a light-green stripe 7/23" wide in between them. Underneath the border echoing the curve of the saucer, is light-green transfer-printed text, in all caps, which reads "SHAKERS MT. LEBANON N.Y.". The font of the text outlines the letters in white giving them a three-dimensional quality. Underneath "SHAKERS" is a hand-painted floral designs comprised of a brown branch, dual-green stem, and three pink flowers. The smallest flower has three petals. The other two are larger with multiple petals that are painted in strokes on top of one another around yellow floral discs. The last pink flower has five petals also around a yellow floral disc. There is another hand-painted decoration with a brown branch, dual-green stem and two orange flowers. One is a single petal and the other has five petals around a yellow floral disc.
Notes
On October 12, 1886 Benjamin Gates, Cornelia French, and Mary Hazard of the Church family traveled to New York City to order plates from Union Porcelain Works. On February 20, 1887 a note in Anna Dodgsons journal refers to new plates with "Shaker & c". These are the only dishes marked with a community name.