Cabot Commemorative State Dinner Service

Canadian Historical Dinner Service
Coffee cup saucer – Jewel-weed Anna Lucy Kelley (1849–1920)
Artist	Alice Egan, Lily Osman Adams, Phoebe Amelia Watson and others
Year	1897 (1897)
Type	Dinner service
Medium	Painted ceramics
Subject	Canada
Dimensions	24 place settings for eight courses
Owner	National Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh

The Canadian Historical Dinner Service, originally called the Cabot Commemorative State Dinner Service, is 204-piece eight-course dinner service with 24 place settings of hand-painted porcelain. It was created in 1896–97 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Canada by John Cabot. The illustrations all have Canadian subjects, and no two pieces are the same.

In 1896 the Woman's Art Association of Canada (WAAC) decided to commission a state dinner service to be painted on china by members of the association. The WAAC formed a Ceramic Committee, which pulled together photographs and drawings of old forts, battlefields and other historical scenes. The committee also assembled reproductions of Canadian game, fish, shells, ferns and flowers. A competition of Canadian ceramic artists was held, and the work was divided among them "according to their individual proficiency in the painting of various subjects." The artists were to represent each province of Canada. In fact the chosen artists were from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Eight of the artists were from Toronto.

Mary Ella Dignam, first president of the Women's Art Association of Canada, was the driving force behind production of the dinner service. Dignam supervised the work of Alice Egan and other Ontario and Quebec artists. These included Lily Osman Adams (1865–1945) and Phoebe Amelia Watson (1858–1947). The dinner service for eight courses with 24 place settings was to commemorate the 400th anniversary in 1897 of John Cabot's discovery of Canada. Sixteen Canadian women artists were chosen to paint the 204 china blanks with Canadian historical scenes and birds, ferns, fish, flowers and fruits. They were given details of the plates or cups and saucers they were to paint, and worked independently.

The WAAC arranged to obtain the china blanks. According to the Secretary of the WAAC, E .J . Thompson, "our object was to get nothing but the best, for we want our State Set to be as near perfect as possible . . . . Sir Henry Doulton has taken quite an interest in our State Set and has given us the only plain china with the red factory mark that has ever left the factory to be decorated, and has sent us their best china and at the lowest price ." Mary E. Dignam wrote to Alice Egan that the blanks would cost $6.60 a dozen to the artist. "Your best work is expected - not less than $60.00 will be asked per dozen in disposing of the set, proceeds to go to the artist, less 10%. Details of border of gold edge and W.A.A. stamp will be sent you, when you are ready for them. The pieces are be finished by May 18th [1897]." The dinner service was not assembled as whole, inspected and approved until 7 July 1897.