"James Polk"

Porcelain

Dessert Plate, $44.00; Teacup & Saucer, $59.00

The Polk china is distinctive in the fact that it marks the first time a shield of red, white, and blue was used as a part of the decorative motif. This shield reads, "E pluribus unum" and means, "From many into one". The shield sits atop an elaborate china design with lovely pink flowers at the center and a border design of pale green with gold trim.

The china for President James Polk was purchased in March of 1846 and consisted of approximately 400 pieces and cost a grand total of $979.40! Manufactured by the French firm Edouard Honore, the Polk design was the first to use the motto "E Pluribus Unum."

The elegance of Mrs. Polk's French-made china stands in sharp contrast to her social agenda for the White House. A visitor there during the Polk term of office explained, "Unlike some of her predecessors, Mrs. Polk has no taste for the gay amusements of the lovers of pleasure".