At $66, This Set of Kitschy-Cool Bowls Is the Ideal Bulk Gift
I’m divying them up one by one this year.
Published Nov 18, 2023 3:30 AM
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I’d say I’m on a lettuceware kick, but the truth is I’ve been collecting these kitschy-cool dishes for some time now. Originally brought to the U.S. (Palm Beach, to be specific) in the 1960s from England, the circa-1700s style lends a simultaneously traditional and nonsensical vibe to the table. I couldn’t tell you why there’s an entire tabletop market that resembles fanned-out cabbage, but I am grateful that the category exists. As a style editor, there’s nothing I do better than force my own homewares obsessions onto everyone in my life, which is one of the reasons it will be my go-to gift this holiday season.
While I’ve had some luck sourcing the ceramics at vintage stores, Bordallo Pinheiro still manufactures lettuceware (and tomatoware, if that’s your thing) today in its 130-year-old factory in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Matches Fashion sells it in sets, so naturally, I’m snagging some to divide and distribute among my friends and family.
Petite 7-inch-wide bowls, perfect for olives or nuts, come in $66 sets of four, which means I can get away with $16 gifts for each member of my friend group. Alternatively, substantial 14-inch-wide platters are sold as a pair for $68, equaling just $34 per gift. Below, you’ll find the two-birds-one-stone sets I’m picking up ahead of time.
