Not Pyrex: There's Another Antique Dishware Brand Worth Hunting For At The Thrift Store

With so many people becoming savvier at picking out high-value thrift store finds, it's time to up your own game and broaden your horizons to snag those under-the-radar gems. Sure, it's still worthwhile to look for valuable vintage Pyrex while thrifting, but everybody seems keen on these popular patterns nowadays. But there's actually another lesser-known option to check out that's in the same league. That brand is Mottahedeh! 

Named after founders Rafi and Mildred Mottahedeh, the New Jersey-based company supplies dishes prized for their fine quality, ornate motifs, and bright colors inspired by the old world. Rafi was born in Persia in the early 20th century and, as a young man, immigrated to the United States, where he met his American wife, Mildred. The pair loved all things beautiful and curated a collection of dishware inspired by the visual delights of the Persian and Arabic worlds and, later, Chinese and European porcelain too. In the 1950s, the couple began making their own versions of the goods they would import. Their brand is now famous for its high-quality antique reproductions of classic pieces found in art museums like the Met, with many individual pieces selling for well over $100 on the resale market.

You'll know you've found some Mottahedeh because of the famous patterns. One of the most identifiable is Tobacco Leaf, a brilliant Chinese-inspired print featuring botanicals in bright pinks, greens, and blues, all swirling together. Other popular patterns include the Duke of Gloucester, which features a bright fruit bowl and was inspired by the family's travels in the United Kingdom, and the sapphire landscape scenes of the Blue Canton line. If you think you've happened upon one of the company's delicate patterns, check the underside of the dish for the Mottahedeh stamp to verify authenticity.  

Another reason these valuable vintage kitchen items are so worth snagging up is that it can be easy to style them in your home, no matter your aesthetic. That is, if your tastes already lean a little toward a maximalist style, the bright colors and busy prints of most of the Mottahedeh sets will fit right in, adding even more whimsy to your dinner table. If you're more of a minimalist at heart, the dishes will add a daring focal point to your space. It's an easy way to mix so-called dopamine decor into more low key spaces so your home never feels builder-grade or sterile, even if it is more sparse.

You can also use your Mottahedeh antique dishware as purely decorative pieces. Consider displaying plates on the wall in a curated, gallery-like collection instead of artwork. Your home might benefit from using the serving dishes as platters for your coffee table magazines or even as an entry hall collection point. Mixing Mottahedeh with more modern or understated elements, like a neutral charger plate or wooden surface, in these places is especially effective because it gives them more room to shine.