Sterling China Vesper Club Service Plate

The Vesper Club was founded in 1901 to get around the city's draconian blue laws which prevented the serving or selling of alcohol on Sundays and holidays. I believe it moved to its present location in 1941 and I am certain that the following dates from right around 1940, based on the design and backstamps.

It's a restaurant ware service plate or charger in off-white vitreous porcelain by Sterling China of Ohio. A service plate like this would have been used to set the tables before the guests were seated, which explains the remarkable condition of this piece (it is exceedingly rare to find a piece of restaurantware that hasn't seen use, unless it was a sample).

Sterling made good to excellent heavy-duty institutional ware, so they made as a supplier for something like this. The bowl is transfer-decorated with the Vesper Club crest in three colors. The arms are quartered, consisting of pair of hands shaking, a lobster, crossed fork and knife and a cocktail glass. The rim is decorated with an elegant and elaborate Art Deco border.

It's xx" in diameter and quite heavy.

Condition: no wear or damage. There are small rough spots in the glaze at three points on the back where the plate would have been held on stilts when it was fired. These are manufacturing artifacts, not damage.

Mark: printed Sterling China backstamp on the reverse.

Item ID: 3711