Back in the 1950’s, my mother purchased these beautiful dishes for my Auntie Anne. Auntie Anne was a true mentor of mine … an artistic lady with exquisite taste and style.
About 30 years ago, Anne passed these dishes onto me. I really covet them. Not only for the charming design, but also for the sentimentality of it all. They have been in my family for decades and have traveled with me back and forth across North America, through several homes (…and love affairs!)
The pattern, called “Pumpkin”, was manufactured by Island Worcester in the 1950’s. The factory was located in Jamaica, and owned by Royal Worcester; but it closed after only a few years.
The design was created by Vera Neumann (July 24, 1907 – June 15, 1993). Vera was an American artist and entrepreneur best known for her boldly colored linen patterns and scarves signed “Vera” and featuring a ladybug. Recently, you may have purchased or admired some of her original vintage designs that were re-created on tea towels for Crate and Barrel and Target.
These cheerful dishes are extremely hard to come by. I have only seen a few of them in all my years of estate sale and thrift store shopping. If you ever see any, please grab them! I promise to make it worth your while.
