With the buzz around the current Sotheby's Mario Buatta auction I have been thinking quite a bit about lettuce ware and more specifically Dodie Thayer. Mario's extensive lettuce ware collection sold yesterday for $48,000 and I literally can not stop staring at the images. It was truly such a fabulous collection of her amazing work. In 2015 I wrote a random thoughts blog post and included the new that Tory Burch had collaborated with Dodie Thayer to release a new collection of her stunning lettuce ware pieces. There is something about the green in the pottery that is just like no other. It is the perfect lettuce green and always makes me think of spring and new life when I see it. I have been captivated for years by its beauty.
Mario Buatta Lettuce Ware collection
While I was writing the blog post in 2015 my husband noticed the computer and made a comment I will never forget. I shared the story in the blog post, but I so think it is time to share it again.
Speaking of Tory Burch, her announcement on Tuesday that she was collaborating with Dodie Thayer is amazing. I absolutely love Thayer's Lettuce Ware designs and have coveted them for years with my own collection of reproductions. Looks like I will have the opportunity to get some of the real designs to add to my plate hoarding collection.
So ... interesting little note. While I was researching the Thayer-Burch story the hubs checks out what I am reading and says ... "Dodie Thayer .. I know her. She was a DuBois and grew up with Dad. When I was a kid we had some of her plates. I always thought they were ugly." And my heart stopped. I couldn't even process the fact that he thought they were ugly, I was too busy trying to find out if my precious father in law knew what happened to the Lettuce Ware. There is something in the water in Jupiter, Florida. Magical, special and precious people from that area!
So right after I wrote the post I called my father in law and asked him about Dodie and the pieces they owned. I was so interested in the story and wanted to know way more. He confirmed they went to high school together and she was always one of his favorite people. When they both married she would create pieces for them every Easter and gift them to him and the boys. I was completely sucked in and wanted to know every single detail. His memory was that they were the same lettuce dishes and bowls she made and sold locally and that each one she made for them was signed by her and had notes on the bottom as to who they were for. I was shook.
The sad news is that he doesn't know what happened to those gifts but did tell me he was sure they had at least one piece of pottery she made for them and he was sure he could find it for me if I wanted it. And of course I did. We know own this beautiful piece, a large clam shell with the most perfect pink details inside.
image by Christina Wedge
Isn't it beautiful?
And he was right, the writing on the bottom of the bowl is the best part. Although we don't have the special pieces she created for the boys, we do still have the beautiful clam shell she created for my in laws. It is another treasure that was passed down to us from my in laws that I will treasure forever.
As for my lettuce ware love, I am slowly adding the redesigned pieces from Tory Burch to my collection of plates. Last summer I bought the canape plates for our Palm Beach shoot and this year I will add something more. I truly do think they are just stunning ... and the green is just so beautiful.
Since the original release Tory Burch has also released the lettuce ware in white and in pale pink, but the green will always be my favorite. There is just something so unique about it. I know owning an original Dodie Thayer piece would be the ultimate find, but you can most definitely collect the new pieces and love them just as much. I know I do!
Happy Friday, have the best weekend!!
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