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Cordelia Dinner Plate, Green Set of 4

£110

Materials
Fine European Earthernware
Width
26.5 cm

A fine set of 4 European earthenware dinner plates from Caldas da Rainha — a dense border of dark green fan motifs running the full rim, each one precise and repeated, in a pattern that was already old when the Greeks put it on their temples.

The anthemion frieze has been running along the edges of the temples of the civilised world since ancient Greece. It arrived in Portugal via Rome, Byzantium, and the Moorish workshops of Andalusia, and it has not changed much, and we're grateful for that.

Inspiration
JJ spotted this pattern first on a fragment of Greek pottery in a museum in Athens, and then — years later — on a plate in a workshop in Caldas da Rainha, where the painter was applying the same fan motif with the same unhurried hand, apparently unconcerned that he was working in a tradition four thousand years old. The Portuguese have always been good at this. Absorbing the history of Europe and other cultures that passed through and making it completely their own.
Collectors Questions

Q: Are these for everyday use or best kept for special occasions?


A: They are made for use, and use is exactly what brings them to life. These plates look great decorating a wall and wall cabinets and mostly look fantastic on the table. Hand-painting ages gracefully; it does not need protecting. That said, treat them with the same consideration you would give any well-made thing, and they will outlast cheaper alternatives by years.

Q: Are the dinner plates dishwasher safe?


A: They can go in the dishwasher on a low-temperature or eco cycle — ideally 30–40°C or below — with a mild, non-aggressive detergent. Skip the intensive cycle and switch off heated drying. That said, hand-washing is the better long-term habit if you want the glaze and hand-painted detail to hold their depth for years rather than months.

Q: Do the dinner plates mix well with plain white crockery?


A: Beautifully. A patterned dinner plate alongside plain white is one of the most enduring combinations in table setting — the pattern stands out, the white gives it air. It's an easy way to bring a Casa by JJ plate into a table that's already established.

Q: Do the side plates match the dinner plates from the same collection exactly?


A: Where a matching dinner plate exists within the same collection — such as the Cara Shell or Camilla pairs — both are drawn from the same glaze and pattern, so they're designed to sit together as one setting. That said, mixing different designs across the Casa by JJ range is always encouraged.

Q: Are these a suitable wedding or housewarming gift?


A: A set of four distinctive dinner plates is one of the more considered gifts you can give — something the recipient will use and notice every time, and won't already own. Gift wrapping and a handwritten note are available at checkout.

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Sustainable Practices

Towards A Greener Future

At Casa by JJ, we believe true luxury considers its legacy, not just in heirloom pieces, but in the planet we leave behind. That’s why we are proud to triple carbon offset, going beyond neutral to give back more than we take. Every collection is a step towards a greener future, where beauty at home and responsibility to the world exist in harmony.

Our Story
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