American Atelier Athena Turkey Covered Serving Dish, 1990s

The dish is white ironstone, formed in the shape of a turkey at rest. The lid is the whole piece — a full figural bird, molded feather by feather across the body, the fan tail raised and detailed, the glaze smooth and bright in the way only ironstone can be: built to take the table and not ask for special treatment. It is not a delicate thing. It was never meant to be.

American Atelier At Home produced the Athena line through the 1990s and into the 2000s — white ironstone serving pieces designed for the holiday table, dishwasher safe and microwave safe, made to be used by people who did not want to worry about the dishes. Pattern #5681 is the turkey. The Hunter knows it is not the Archive's usual territory. She bought it anyway, with clear eyes, a children's table waiting, and a specific reason that outweighed the Red Line.

Hunter's Notes

I found this at a church sale in Romeo, Michigan, and I'll be honest with you: I knew exactly what it was. Contemporary. Made in China. Not the kind of piece Jolene usually lets through the door. But I needed something for the kids' table at Thanksgiving, and this turkey was the answer. I filled it with sweets, set it down, and the children loved it completely. It earned a chip somewhere in that evening — ironstone is built for exactly that kind of use, and I don't hold it against the dish. I brought it into the Archive because it did its job, because no child was going to reach into a piece I hadn't cleared for lead risk, and because sometimes the right object is just the right object.

The Archive Record — JLM-250055

Product Specs