Flora Danica dinnerware started long before trend
Spring brings flowers, and this year designers are using more floral prints than usual in fabrics and designs.
But a picture of a plant as a decoration on dinnerware is an old idea.
In 1761, the Encyclopedia of Danish Flowers was commissioned by King Frederik V of Denmark. Thousands of hand-colored illustrations were made from engraved copper plates. Some of the drawings were used to decorate a banquet service in 1790.
The first Flora Danica dinner set of 1,802 pieces was made for King Christian VII to give as a gift to Empress Catherine II of Russia. She died before the set was finished, so it stayed in Denmark.
The remaining 1,530 pieces belong to Queen Margethe II. Each features a single plant.
You can still buy new dishes from the Royal Copenhagen factory, or old ones at antiques shops and auctions. It is said to be the only 18thcentury set still being made.
Q: I have a Cracker Jack AM radio my dad gave me when I was 8 years old. It's in perfect condition. Is it worth anything?
A: Cracker Jack included prizes in the packages beginning in 1912. Radios like this were made in the 1970s in Hong Kong. They sell for about $25.
Current prices
■ Side table, tiger oak, top shaped like a fourleaf clover, spindle spool legs, shaped lower shelf, ball feet, c. 1890, 29 x 24 inches, $275
■ G.I. Joe lunchbox, U.S. Army, green canvas, brown leather trim, metal latch, plastic top handle, envelope style, 1968, 9 x 5 x 4 inches, $705