Italian Countryside - My Mikasa Dishes

Mikasa - Italian Countryside

I have recently added to my expanding dish collection an overall beauty. I absolutely love my new Mikasa Italian Countryside dishes! I purchased two boxes of 16 pieces each with service for 4 that were on sale at Macy's. I wanted to use them for mixing and matching neutral dishes with my other service settings. I did a bit of online research before I made my decision to and found that the reviews on this set were stunning. I am not disappointed! There was however some conflicting information, so I want to share my personal knowledge of them for a wider audience.  
These dishes are a creamy white color and not pure white. This ivory color is very subtle, but if I compare it to a true white color it becomes strikingly obvious. Used by itself it looks completely white, which I really like. It has the ability to blend with my other pieces and most of the ones I have are also a little creamy anyway. If you are looking for a true white set of dishes you would be making a compromise to use these. I think the very white dishes are a little stark for what I wanted, so these work perfectly. 

Compare the true white feathers on this mask to the ivory colored mask itself and you will see the light ivory colored hue matches perfectly with the plates. The true white is much brighter in comparison. I only notice it when they are right next to each other.

According to my box they are made of porcelain. They are very shiny with a high gloss finish. They are not too heavy or to light. I saw several online places that called them a household "Workhorse." I certainly see how this is true. They are tough enough to work for everyday, but fancy enough to keep in a china cabinet for special occasions. I really wanted something that I didn't have to baby all the time and would feel comfortable actually using. Since these are readily available and extremely popular I can always replace them if they do break or chip, and they are reasonable priced so I don't need to have a panic attack if my guests want to help clear the table after dinner.  

Ralph Lauren-Italy, Italian Countryside-Mikasa, and Adelaide- 222 Fifth

I love how flawlessly they work together with my other dishes. I can't wait to use them with my Thanksgiving place settings too!I wanted to comment on the specific bowls in this collection. I choose to purchase two boxes of the service for 4 collections because I liked the bowls that were included with this set. The factory boxes that had service for 8 have different bowls with open fluted edges. They are also very beautiful, but I thought that these would be more functional for what I want to use them for. I also think that they portray the more classical Pompeii feel that I wanted in my European collection. 
The bowls that came with my set are VERY large! They are not the general bowl size that you see with most dishes. I want to show the comparison between the "Italian Countryside" and my 222 Fifth "Adelaide" dishes. The Mikasa bowls are really too large to use for cereal bowls, in my opinion, but work perfectly for a giant salad or a generous serving of hearty vegetable soup.  

I love adding a charger under them to add a little extra pop at times. They just look good no matter what I do!  

Mikasa- Italian Countryside
Ralph Lauren - Italy (unknown vintage set)
222 Fifth - Adelaide
Tablecloth - Lenox Opal Innocence, white
Teapot - Grace's Teaware

Photos By Danella McCall