Herend porcelain has been synonymous with quality dinnerware since Queen Victoria purchased a large table service for in 1826. This high end manufacturer remains desirable today and provides an array of products from collectible figurines to the prestigious table setting Herend Chinese Bouquet.
This pattern is hand painted, and available in raspberry, lilac, yellow, black, blue, green, rust, and multicolored themes with a white background. Traditional in appearance, the Chinese bouquet also incorporates gold leaf into the rims of plates, cups, and saucers. The patterns central adornment is a delicate flower in the center of the plate or cup. Some designs have the rim or the dinnerware lines completely lined with flowers of the same color, whereas others have the ancillary bouquet pieces spaces evenly around the lip.
Due to the high profile of both the maker and royal design, the Herend Chinese Bouquet dinner service is considered highly collectable and is frequently an heirloom piece. The complete dinner service includes an array of over 70 unique products. Basic options, such as a dinner plate, cup, saucer, mug, and soup cup are foundations of a good beginning to owning a complete set. However, other options such as teapots, oatmeal bowls, and turkey platters may not possible to obtain at the time of the original purchase. Due to the high collector’s value of Herend pieces, this would not be considered an entry level purchase. The least expensive item, a coaster, starts at $40 apiece, and a four quart Tureen will be a minimum of $1,670.00. For this reason, many couples registering this set as a wedding gift item will select only the most basic elements and check estate sales and online auctions for more expensive items.
It should also be noted that as the design changes slightly over the years, replacement items may not always be readily available. Certain online retailers and high end department stores can order these pieces for the consumer a la carte. However, replacement pieces, although used, may not be any less in cost than replacing the item.
The buyer should also be careful of imitation Herend’s items. Each item should have a unique number and letter sequence on the underside of the dish to serve as an identification system for the pattern and price. It should be noted, this is not a serial number, edition number, or registration number and any vendor identifying the alphanumeric sequence as such should be investigated before proceeding with purchase. The Chinese Bouquet pattern will always begin with an A- to pay homage to Count Apponyi who initially commissioned the design in 1930; the second set of letters will denote the color used in the design. Also, as each piece is hand painted, it may be months after ordering before the set can be received. Each piece will be unique, and even within the same pattern, wide variations between dinnerware items is expected.
Martin’s Herend Imports is the sole authorized importer for any new Herend Chinese Bouquet orders in the United States. Martin’s maintains secondary contracts with high end retailers, and a consumer may verify the authenticity of a stores ability to sell Herend’s by contacting Martin’s for verification. Please note some items are not available for initial purchase in the US and must be purchased abroad.