RIP Eva Zeisel

One of the cool side-effects of the thrifting/vintage bug is that you learn a lot along the way.  Last month I posted about a set of dishes I found that were designed by Eva Zeisel (the fabulous pink-and-black abstract 50s pattern in not-great shape).  In researching the dishes I read the Wikipedia article on Zeisel herself, and felt like I was reading the plot to some epic novel of the 20th Century.  She was a Hungarian Jew from an intellectually-oriented family who decided to be a potter's apprentice, became Stalin's art director of ceramics in Russia, got thrown in prison when she was accused of plotting to assassinate him, somehow got released and ended up in Vienna just in time for the Nazis to invade, escaped on the last train out and fled Europe for America with her scholar husband, designed for some of the greatest names in pottery, had the first ever one-woman show at MOMA, and raised a family.  She was born in 1906 and designed a line for Crate & Barrel!  She basically lived all of modern history, and she died on Friday, at 105.  I heard about it on NPR today, and after reading her obituary, where they quote her;  "I'm always thinking about my friend, someone to whom I'm giving my loveliness, my friendship and my shapes,", I feel all warm and fuzzy about owning some pieces of her work, even if they are kind of beat up; she was an extraordinary woman.  Excuse me while I go add her biography to my wish list.

Eva Zeisel - design genuis, participant in
history and all-around fascinating person
who apparently also designed some rugs!

The coolest score from last weekend, finally

So last Monday and Tuesday I showed off some of my scores from St. Vincent de Paul, and mentioned a couple of times a special score that I hadn't shown.  I still haven't unpacked/cleaned up/checked over that special score, but I did find a picture online, to show you what I found:

Hallcraft "Shape" line, designed by Eva Zeisel.  

The pattern is called "Harlequin".  

Image taken from Funky Home Finds

I found several cups, saucers, berry bowls and dinner plates.  One or two out of all of the pieces were in really good shape, but most of my haul, I freely admit, was chipped, scratched and even, in the case of one of the dinner plates, a little bit cracked.  But the pattern was so unusual, and the price so right that I couldn't pass it up.  According to replacements.com the pattern was discontinued in 1955, and according to the guy I spoke to at China Finders on Cherokee Street in South St Louis, it is not easy to find, and not cheap (I thought, since the condition of what I found isn't that great, I might be able to fill it out with some not-that-great serving pieces and have a not-that-great quality, but totally rockin' atomic set of dishes).  He didn't have any of it, and only knew of one platter available, for $65.00.  Seeing as how I spent less than a quarter of that for all of what I have, and seeing as how I'm all thrifty, I'll stick with my turquoise speckled Melmac dinnerware I've been using proudly for years:

Vintage perfection!  

This set is one thing I can guarantee you I will never put up on Etsy.  It's beautiful, functional, virtually indestructible, and I love it dearly.  I find melamine stuff frequently - you saw the pink set I bought last week already - but this?  Since the day I found it, I have never come across even a single piece of this set at any thrift store, garage or estate sale.  I am very attached!

So, for anybody who might be reading - a question, in two parts:

Do you thrift?  What's your equivalent of my beloved turquoise Melmac set?