Lenox Butterfly Meadow Bread Basket

Since 1889 the vision of Walter Scott Lenox has guided the company he founded to set the highest standards for quality, artistry, and beauty. Today Lenox is among the world’s oldest and most respected names in fine tableware and giftware – favored by presidents, displayed in museums, honored with awards, and enjoyed in homes across America.

Lenox’s Ceramic Art Company, which opened in 1889, was different from all other potteries. It was organized as an art studio, rather than a factory, and offered one-of-a-kind artwares in lustrous ivory china, rather than a full line of ceramics. The exquisitely painted and modeled vases, pitchers, and tea sets, produced at first by just 18 employees, were met with an enthusiastic reception and carried in the most exclusive shops. By 1897 examples of Lenox’s work were included in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1989 Lenox celebrated its centennial – a landmark reached by no other American porcelain company. Its luster remains undiminished. Lenox china patterns, including Eternal (1965) and Federal Platinum (1991), consistently rank among the most popular nationwide. Newer designs, such as Winter Greetings ® (1995) by the noted nature artist Catherine McClung, have been hailed as contemporary classics. And while Lenox is a leader in such current trends as transitional china and mix-and-match placesettings, it continues to employ centuries-old craft techniques, including piercing, jeweling, and etching.

Now flourishing in its second century, the company has never lost sight of Walter Scott Lenox’s original vision. In fact, Lenox has come full circle, with artistic pieces for the table, the home and all gift-giving occasions. From once-in-a-lifetime wedding presents to seasonal holiday selections, gifts of Lenox are given with great pride, received with genuine gratitude. And so have earned the distinction as “Gifts That Celebrate Life.” Walter Scott Lenox was a man with a passion for his craft, a passion for life. Which is perhaps exactly why his legacy endures today.