IF YOU POLL most Zeisel collectors, chances are their first pieces were from the Tomorrow's Classic line of dishes from Hallcraft. They are easily the most common line of Zeisel designs available in the secondary market. Brad and I have a game that we play when we go to flea markets or antique stores—the first one who spots a Zeisel gets a kiss. More often than not, a piece of Tomorrow's Classic will present itself somewhere in the aisles.
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| Tomorrow's Classic creamer, coffee server, sugar bowl, and teapot |
Although the unadorned white pieces are the most sought after today, when the line was designed in 1952, Hallcraft saw them as the perfect vessels for applied decoration. And decorate they did—from the popular floral
Bouquet to the quirky gold marbled
Surf Ballet. In addition to the patterns, there were also pieces in solid black, gray, and orange. We have even seen lobsters printed on the large platters, and advertising applied to the jugs. Brad once had this ambition to collect a place setting of each pattern but we wisely realized that we would never have enough cupboard space to store all that china. So, our final set consists of white and black pieces, along those decorated with
Fantasy—a pattern of black squiggles and gold dots conceived by Ross Littell, who along with William Katavolos and Douglas Kelley, would later design the iconic
T-Chair.
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| Fantasy pattern |
With close to forty pieces in the line, it is one of the most
extensive commissions that Eva has designed. In addition to the usual
place settings and serving pieces, there are candlesticks, cruets, and after dinner servers. There are even pieces that we probably have no use for today,
such as marmites, onion soup bowls, and asparagus trays. Innovations
included handles that flare up gracefully from the body of the jugs and
pots (as opposed to being applied), oblong plates (as opposed to being round), lug handled
platters, and reversible egg cups (one end for a hardboiled egg or use the other end for poached).
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| Tomorrow's Classic gravy boat, vase, and reversible egg cups. |
I think my favorite piece is the basket-shaped gravy boat,
although the hardest one to find was the flower vase. Tomorrow's Classic
makes for an elegant, though formal table, so they come out only during Christmas, Thanksgiving, or when the Queen comes to visit (long may he reign).
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| Bottom stamp, Hallcraft Tomorrow's Classic |
Crate and Barrel and Royal Stafford recently re-released Tomorrow's Classic and married them with pieces from another of Eva's lines for Hallcraft. The combined line is called
Classic Century. The new pieces have a slightly yellower cast than the vintage ones, and they added a mug to the line, which is just an elongated version of the classic cup. Needless to say, we prefer the older stuff, but overall, the re-released pieces have successfully kept the integrity and playfulness of Eva's design. So, the next time you and your significant other find yourselves at a Crate and Barrel, you too can play "Spot the Zeisel". Opportunities for free kisses should never be wasted.
