PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Home Decor / Kitchen Decor, Decorative Plate, Souvenir, c. 1960s.
Originating from a ceramic’s studio itself based in the Beaver State, this striking transferware plate has a gorgeous aqua and gold design. Around the rim are ten vignettes capturing historic scenes and natural sites associated with Oregon. In the center, the Viletta Art Studio crafters have featured the State Capitol building in Salem. Salem is also known as ‘The Cherry City of The World’, a designation that began in 1847 when a nurseryman planted cherry trees in the area around the Willamette River Valley. He brought the trees from Iowa across the Oregon Trail, a route started by beaver trappers in 1811 which soon became the system of wagon roads that many thousands of people used for traveling west. It is one of the prominent attractions included on the rim of this decorative dish. Between these beautiful, captioned vignettes are not cherries, though, but what look like grapes. That’s because the official state flower is a barberry plant called Oregon Grape, an evergreen shrub with a sour blue fruit which is attractive to birds and makes excellent jellies. However we do not recommend eating your jellied toast off this or any other vintage plate made for display. Best to hang it on the wall or show it in a collector’s cabinet where it can be appreciated in all its Oregonian splendor. [Condition: Used Very Good. Some wearing of the transferware. No chips.]
Condition: Used Very Good. Local / Regional Areas. Dimensions: 10.5” diameter / 1 lb 4 oz
