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A rare, gorgeous historically significant high end china service plate custom-designed for the iconic Nautilus Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.
This beautiful plate was commissioned for The Nautilus Hotel, which opened in 1924 on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. It opened in January of that year by pioneering developer Carl Fisher (“Mr. Miami” who also created the Indy 500 and the Miami Beach sandy coastline.) The ultra-luxury hotel had a incredibly brief lifespan before the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926/1927 and subsequent 1929 market crash ended operations. Because of this short window, original hotel estate china is exceptionally difficult to find. The china was manufactured by Lamberton and purchased via the NYC department store owner John Wanamaker.
Because it was a high-end, custom-ordered plate, standard factory logo backstamps in earliest renditions were omitted to leave space entirely for the custom poetry by Oliver Wendell Holmes, from 1958. Named “The Chambered Nautilus,\" printed in crisp vintage typography:\"This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,
Sails the unshadowed main,—
The venturous bark that flings
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,
And coral reefs lie bare,
Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.\"**FRONT DESIGN:**
Features a vibrant, highly detailed central illustration of a mermaid rising out of the ocean waves, balancing a pink-sailed chambered nautilus shell. The artwork is beautifully framed by a rich, deep emerald-green border decorated with elegant gold tridents, mythical sea creatures, and stylized scallop shells. Art
Deco and Art Nouveau touches **CONDITION:**
Pristine condition. This plate shows amazinf preservation with brilliant colors, crisp gold gilt detailing along the rim, and clean glazing. Free from chips, cracks, crazing, or repairs. A phenomenal addition for collectors of rare Florida history, vintage restaurant ware, or nautical/mermaid antiques. Will packed with ultimate care, immovable foam and double boxed. I have an excellent track record in getting fine breakables safely to their new home.
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📐 SPECIFICATIONS & MEASUREMENTS
• Diameter:10.75”
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• Era: Circa 1924–1926📦 PROFESSIONAL SHIPPING & HANDLING
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