When you were little, did you have a set of doll dishes? (Or for the guys, did your sister have a set?) I did. Mine were the pieces from two sets, a few plates made in Japan and a few pieces of Blue Willow. Mine were china. Today you can find china and plastic, but I doubt you’ll find glass doll dishes.
Back in the depression Jeannette made children’s size dishes in a Cherry Blossom and Doric and Pansy. You would think it would be pretty easy to tell them apart since the doll dishes were made for little girls and the regular size for adult use at the dinner table. Surprisingly enough, it is not always that easy just based on measurements.
An eBay user named Dave contacted me about his mom’s Doric and Pansy saucers because she wanted the matching cups. Interestingly, her saucers are 4 1/2 inches across while the full size saucers are 5 1/2 inches across. That doesn’t sound like much but the difference is very noticeable when you add the cup and make a set.
Here is the doll cup and saucer in pink. Jeannette called the children’s glass “Pretty Polly”. It’s super cute.
Pretty Polly Pink Cup and Saucer Doric and Pansy Pink Depression Glass
The Pretty Polly cup is 3 inches across at the lip and 1 1/2 inches tall. It looks shorter and wider in proportion than the adult size and the shape is different. Here is the adult cup and saucer in ultramarine.
Doric and Pansy Utramarine Cup and Saucer Teal Depression Glass
The ultramarine cup is 3 1/2 inches across and 2 1/8 inches tall. That’s only 1/2 inch wider than the toy cup. The dimensions seem so similar that even experienced collectors get confused. I’ve had customers who thought they were buying the child’s size and now I include the phrase “full size” or “adult size” in my listing titles.
Jeannette made the doll set in pink and in the ultramarine teal colored glass; I didn’t see. From what I can tell the toy glass is a little more costly than the adult size, but not hugely so, and the two colors are priced pretty close to each other. I didn’t see any mention of the child set in crystal although Jeannette made crystal full size basic dinnerware pieces.
I hope this helps any of you who are curious whether you have doll dishes or dinner set pieces.