Antique c.1878 Wedgwood Majolica Blossom Plate, Owned by André Leon Talley

Antique c.1878 Wedgwood Majolica plate with a storied heritage and provenance, owned by legendary fashion icon André Leon Talley Perfect for the "hostess with the mostest" who loves to entertain in high-style with fabulous stories to tell!
 
This plate is named "Fan Strawberry Set", it has cherry blossoms and butterfly motifs inspired by Japanese aesthetics. It's considered "Argenta style" which refers to its softer color palette on an ivory ground, popularized by Wedgwood in the 1870s. It was a shift from the bright hughes of Victorian ceramic wares, in response to the changing tastes as deeper colors of earlier Majolica were starting to fall out of style. The plate reverse is marked with pattern# M2756, and impressed with “UPG” indicating the 1878 production date. This Fan pattern was introduced around 1878, Wedgwood created approximately 90 styles/entries. It has a Diamond Registration mark, which was part of the English pattern registration system that was in effect from 1842-1883. This registration mark was a degree of “copyright protection” to the design.
 
André Leon Talley (1948-2022) was one of the fashion world's first African-American Tastemakers! A 6’-6” tall, elegant and flamboyant fashion celebrity with impeccable style, easily recognized by his signature capes and kaftans. For 60 years, he was an integral part of fashion history and culture as a journalist, author, stylist, creative director and editor-at-large.
 
His career began in 1974 when he interned at the MET's Costume Institute, apprenticing under legendary fashion magazine editor Diana Vreeland. They created magic on and off stage, sharing a life of fashion and friendship. After the MET, he took his first job out of college working at Andy Warhol’s Factory, through Vreeland’s introduction. He answered Warhol's phone, which opened the door to NYC's most glamorous socialites. Although private, during the 70's he was a regular participant of Studio 54’s disco scene boogie dancing with models, designers, artists, and celebs. After Warhol’s Factory, he went to Paris to run Women’s Wear Daily, then Vogue Magazine. He was Vogue's first African-American Creative Director, then Editor-at-Large. He broke boundaries in an industry dominated by white women. A prominent diversity advocate on and off the runway, supporting emerging designers and models.
 
He had swanky southern charm and style, spoke French eloquently and loved his church, a very soulful person with a big heart. Raised in the (then) segregated deep south by his strict loving grandmother who worked as a maid at Duke University. Church was the most important thing in their life. André’s childhood was wonderful and complex, despite impoverished beginnings he earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University and a master’s from Brown (both) in French Literature. When he first arrived in NYC, he and Diane von Furstenberg became and remained close friends like family. When he nearly lost everything to pay off debts, including his colonial home on 75 Worthington Rd, White Plains, NY - Furstenberg lovingly took care of his financial situation. Almost immediately following that, he died in the hospital with COVID. Shortly after, the street on which he lived for 18 years was re-named to "André Leon Talley Way" in his honor. It is this estate that this plate was acquired from.