I want to share one of my favorite Christmas decor collections. My family is of Danish descent and I love to incorporate a little of my Danish heritage into Christmas traditions when possible. One way is through these Danish porcelain Christmas plates. To be clear, the ones I have are not family heirlooms, but something I started collecting more recently. They do make me think of my Danish family though! My mom gave me a few for Christmas a few years ago and now I look for them in antique stores where they are occasionally very pricey or sometimes a great deal.
I just found out that there are two main lines of very similar styles. The collection I see more commonly and have the most of (Bing & Grondahl) was started in 1895. This past year, I found one plate (dated 1968) which was still in its original box and included a pamphlet with pictures of all the previous ones up to that point. It was so neat to see how the classic style remains consistent throughout the period of more than a century.
The earliest plate I have is from 1967 and the latest is 1995. I have about 15 plates between these dates.
The other collection is from Royal Copenhagen, started in 1904. My mom has several from this collection. When the companies merged under Royal Copenhagen in 1987, they decided to continue both lines of commemorative plates. Both lines have run unbroken for more than 100 years, including the years of WWII when Denmark was under German occupation! They are still producing new plates each year. You can read more about these collections and see pictures of the full archives here.
Royal Copenhagen on left, Bing & Grondahl on right
They both have a very beautiful artistry. I also like the color. When many Christmas decorations are red or green, the bright blue is a nice contrast.
Some of the images depicted are religious (either from the biblical narrative or depicting church scenes). Others show family traditions, or highlight Danish architecture or history. Others feature natural scenes of wildlife or the wilds of Greenland (a territory of Denmark). Some even included fanciful elements or scenes from Danish stories (the Little Match Girl or the Little Mermaid).
Each one is very special. This is a collection I would love to grow (though I'll have to find a way to display more). I can usually find spots for five to seven plates each year and try to rotate them so I can enjoy a few different ones each year. The plates have holes in the back so they can be hung which gives me a few more options. Others, I prop up in picture holders or on plate rails.
What Christmas collections do you have? How do you display them?
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