Rutherford B. Hayes presidential china soup plate from the 1880 edition of the service originally designed for the White House by Theodore Davis, manufactured by Haviland & Company, France. The interior of the soup plate depicts an okra plant with butterfly and hen while the exterior is decorated with an American eagle with gilt swags below a scalloped gilt rim. The underside with raised blue/green radial molding and marked with the Haviland & Co. maker's marks, artist signature "Theo: R. Davis" and patent date "August 10th 1880, No. 11933". 9" dia. Note: In 1879, a state dinner service for President and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes was commissioned from Haviland & Co. During a meeting with Mrs. Hayes in the White House conservatory, Theodore R. Davis, an artist for Harper's Weekly, advocated a service designed with American flora and fauna. The idea appealed to Mrs. Hayes, and Davis was asked to assume direction of the designs. The original set comprised 562 total pieces for 9 courses, including appetizer/oyster, soup, fish, entree, roast, ices, game, salad, dessert, and fruit & cheese with coffee. The service was decorated with 130 different American plants, animals, and scenic views, and created a public sensation. Shortly after it was delivered to the White House in 1880, Davis granted Haviland the right to duplicate many of the pieces from the Hayes service for sale to the public. On these, the original patent mark dated 1879, unique to the White House service, was replaced by a blue 1880 patent mark, as on this offered example. (History adapted from Office of the Curator, The White House)

CONDITION: Overall very good condition with some very slight wear to gilt on the rim and some very minor glaze loss to the interior.