"Flower Power" Marigold Chop Plate
Description
Here's something I've never seen before and no one else I know of has seen one either. It's a 13.25" platter, also known as a chop plate because it measures over 10" wide. I purchased it on eBay at the urging of Mike Carwile who emailed it to me saying he had never seen one before and that I should buy it now and ask questions later! I couldn't resist the low "buy it now" price that would cover a dinner for two....at a burger joint!
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package fo such a magnificent piece of glass. The buyer tells me he bought it from a man who has a two-day yard sale twice a year and sells tons of glass he picks up from all over his area in the Mid-Atlantic states.
I'm convinced this platter was not made in the United States and I'm leaning more towards South America. The bottom was ground down and the flower and star pattern in the middle are intaglio, almost as if they were carved out of the glass. The iridescence on the top where there is no pattern is mirror-like and very flat. It appears to have curved pockets but they are an optical illusion made by the arch patterns from underneath.
It has a spot or two of iridescence missing like the Argentina Star was prone to from wear. It may be how the glass makers applied their marigold but it is not as resilient to wear as the American companies made it. The bottom has a lot of work done to it for design and I don't know why. It could possibly fit into something else. The interior of the platter has a flat area where the circle and flower is before it starts to slant upwards so it could have held a punch bowl or centerpiece bowl as well.
The third photo shows black squiggles in it because it is so radium that it is picking up the reflection of the window panes and trees outside. The iridescence, the feel, the craftmanship, and the heft of this platter really does remind me of this ARGENTINA STAR PLATE.
As for the name, since no one has had any ideas for quite a while about it after having shown it about on social media, I decided it was time to give it a one. The term "Flower Power" came from my generation and although it's not a classic name for a Carnival pattern, the huge center flower reminded me of the Partridge Family's bus that was decked out in painted flowers back in our Hippie days. Right on! Flower Power forever! Yeah Baby and all that jazz! It's pretty hard to forget the name of this pattern now.
The Christina Katsikas Collection
