Butter Pat, Syracuse China Whitfield Gardenia Pattern #96801 Restaurant Ware Vitrified China, Syracuse NY USA, Vintage 1948–1960s

Restaurant ware with a delicate touch — and a story worth knowing.

Syracuse China (originally the Onondaga Pottery Company of Syracuse, New York) produced some of America's finest commercial tableware, built for the rigors of restaurant, hotel, railroad, and diner service. This butter pat is in their Whitfield Gardenia pattern (#96801), a rare find in any form. The vitrified china is thick and hard, marked simply "USA" on the base — an early piece from the pattern's original run between circa 1948 and the mid-1960s. Pristine condition: no chips, scratches, or crazing.

A detail worth knowing: if you find the Whitfield Gardenia with a gold band at the top, that version was made exclusively for the Illinois Central Railroad and called "Magnolia Star." Equally charming as a ring dish, soap dish, or tea bag holder — or exactly as intended, for butter.

• Maker: Syracuse China | Pattern: Whitfield Gardenia #96801
• Material: Vitrified china (restaurant ware)
• Dimensions: Approx. 3⅜" diameter
• Era: circa 1948–1960s (discontinued)
• Origin: Syracuse, New York, USA
• Condition: Excellent vintage. Pristine — no chips, scratches, or crazing. All sales final.