Setting Your Table with Franciscan Desert Rose

Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware has been a favorite from it's introduction in 1941 right up to the present. And for good reason. It's charming look is a mix of laid back California and Mexican culture.

One of the most enduring and beloved dinnerware patterns is Franciscan Desert Rose. Made in Glendale, California until 1984, the cream-colored earthenware dishes with embossed pink Rugosa roses and green leaves evoked a feel of folk Mexican pottery. At the time, California Causal was the newest decorating trend and Franciscan Desert Rose dishes were what many young brides wanted for their dining tables.

A company that started business producing sewer tiles in Southern California went on to create the Franciscan Desert Rose dishes. Gladding, McBean & Co. also produced a variety of other products, from decorative tiles to garden pottery, but it was their dishes that made them famous. From the very start, the pottery firm’s designs relied on folk Mexican designs. Desert Rose was released in 1941, as the United Starts was coming out of the Great Depression and heading into World War II. The country was ready for a more casual environment, so out went the fine china and silver and in came the Desert Rose dishes.

Franciscan Pottery, as the company was known, changed hands a few times and ended up as part of Johnson Brothers, a British dinnerware maker. Although the dinnerware is no longer made in the United States, it’s still available. Franciscan Desert Rose can be purchased new and older pieces, especially those made in the United States, are coveted collectors.

~~ Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware and accessories pieces are available at Amazon at some of the lowest prices you will find and depending on the order, your shipping may be free, too! ~~

If you're starting with the Desert Rose pattern, then you have to start with dinnerware. If you have your heart set on a California produced set, then get ready to spend some money. Fortunately, new sets are still available. Johnson Brothers is manufacturing the dishes now in China and some people have complained that the style and colors are not reflective of the originals. The truth is, the original pieces produced from the 40s through the 60s in Glendale had variation in colors. Some of my oldest pieces from that time are also the show the palest shades of pink and green. And not because of age or wear, but because more than likely on the day they were painted, the paint was reformulated that day or the artist was using a light hand.On the other hand, the newest China produced pieces I've purchased, show vivient pinks and green.

Buying a new set of Franciscan Desert Rose dishes is the fastest and easiest way to get into the pattern. A set will include the basic pieces and will fit into today's lifestyle, going safely into the dishwasher, microwave, and freezer. You can't do that with the older Desert Rose dishes.

4 place settings, including...

• 11-inch dinner plate

• 8-inch salad plate

• 6-inch soup bowl

• 8-ounce cup& saucer

Amazon has some of the price prices on Franciscan Desert Rose dishes. To buy this 20-piece place setting CLICK HERE

Once you have your dinnerware, it's time to start building your whole collection of Franciscan Desert Rose. That means serving pieces. There are so many available, your biggest problem will be deciding on which pieces to buy.

• Platters (in a variety of sizes)
• Serving bowls (a variety of types and sizes)
• Gravy boat
• Butter dish
• Creamer and sugar bowl
• Hostess Tray

And that only the start. Take a look at all these other great Franciscan Desert Rose pieces you can find at Amazon. And remember, Amazon has a great return policy, so if the pieces you order are not what you expected, you can send them back without a hassle.