The History of Cabbageware

August 22, 2024

For the Cabbageware Collector

We're delighted to introduce the Cabbageware Collection, our second addition to the Susan Shaw China Cabinet. Inspired by beloved and iconic cabbage tableware, our newest pieces make the perfect gift for the antique collectors and hostesses in your life.

The History of Cabbageware

First produced in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, the cabbageware we know and love today was popularized by Palm Beach-based ceramicist Dodie Thayer in the 1960s. Icons like Jackie Kennedy Onassis set their grand tablescapes with Thayer's cabbage creations, and her pieces sell at auction for tens of thousands of dollars to this day. With vegetable-inspired varieties now created in colors ranging from pink to classic cabbage-green, our pendants were designed after cabbage plates from Susan's personal collection.

A quick scroll on Instagram or Pinterest will show you just how popular cabbage tableware has become. The hashtag #cabbageware has over 12,000 posts, and modern ceramicists like Helen Christgau Levi (@helen_levi) have even created their own renditions of the classic style by hand. It’s safe to say that the cabbageware craze is here to stay.

A longtime fan of cabbage dinnerware, San Antonio-based tastemaker Elaina Fagan Darden’s collection is enviable. Step into her home and be instantly transported into a world of cheerful, bright and bold design: just take a peek into her dining room, with walls adorned in wildflowers in a rainbow of colors. The wallpaper is actually Elaina's own design — she works as both an interior designer and textile designer, transforming her watercolor paintings into patterns for the home. Blending traditional style with pops of unexpected, personal elements, we are thrilled to share Elaina's cabbageware-inspired tablescape to celebrate the launch of our new Cabbageware Collection.