The Loewe Asparagus Tureen I found on eBay
a very niche history + thrifted Loewe "bags" for you too!
During a recent eBay rabbit hole, I stumbled upon a vintage asparagus tureen. Honestly, I didn’t know their rich history yet, I chanced upon this gem while browsing ‘Vintage Bordallo Pinheiro’ hoping to find playful plates for Summer hosting. I was delighted when my offer of $14 was accepted and afterward, I received a sweet note from the seller asking if it was ok to ship out in a few days since her husband was better at packaging fragile items safely. Bless her.
Upon its arrival, I gave it a home on top of an old Dean & Deluca (rip I miss you) cookbook I recently scored at a neighborhood swap & meet. A few weeks later, during Paris Fashion Week, Loewe sent an encrusted asparagus tureen bag down the runway- the internet loved it immediately. Jonathan Anderson was inspired by a Chelsea Porcelain antique tureen, very similar to the one I now have sitting in my kitchen.
Rather than reading my take on the history of 18th-century Trompe l'oeil ceramics, I recommend indulging in the soothing voice of Steven Moore, of Antiques Roadshow fame, as he discusses tureens. Most notable is that tureens were not in fact for soup, occasionally they housed fruit or dessert, always offering an element of surprise. I’m going to get creative and surprise guests with the unexpected contents of my tureen next time I host. If you do this, please share!
The tureen I thrifted is by Bordallo Pinheiro c. 1950s-60s. Bordallo Pinheiro is a Portuguese ceramics company founded in 1884 by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro, they became famous for their whimsical designs inspired by nature and Portuguese folklore. One of their most iconic creations is the "Cabbage Leaf" collection, I’m also a big fan of the other vegetable and fish plates by them too. Keep scrolling, I sourced some for you already!
While sourcing, I observed an uptick in the prices of tureens compared to when I purchased mine for $14. Also, just last week while dining out in NY the “special of the night” offered two white asparagus spears for $38 which led me to attribute this trend to general asparagus-related inflation.
Vintage Asparagus Tureens
From top left:
This one is a Bordallo Pinheiro identical to the one I have but with the bonus of a matching tray, $145
An Italian-made white asparagus in a basket, $100
Purple tips asparagus, there are no origin markings, $41
White asparagus in a similar style to the Bordallo Pinheiro one, $185
+ This list has even more asparagus and other trompe l’oeil ceramics.
Thrifting tip: If you find ceramics when thrifting in the wild, look at the bottom for a stamp of origin, countries like Portugal and Italy are often good finds!
Thank you for reading this very niche post, I appreciate your love and support! ICYMI, I opened a vintage shop alongside Hyer Good bags in NYC. You can visit us at 21 Greenwich Ave and follow along on ig.
Ok these are super cute now I want one 😂😂