A similar unmarked porcelain Condiment Set with caddy in an ivy leaf pattern was sold on eBay in 2016 with the following description:
“The overall length of the caddy is 6 1/4 inches and is nearly 5 1/4 inches tall and just over 3 inches wide. I do not think they have ever been used. The one spoon is broken form storage, but it looks like all the pieces are there. The jar opening is 2 inches and almost 2 inches deep.”
It is similar to George S. Thompson Company (est 1944 and later bought out by Olde Thompson) hand painted Imperial Ivy pattern, pictured below, and goes well with the Franciscan Ivy pieces used on set and Lucy’s Olde Thompson wall mounted salad set.
Olde Thompson Cruet – in a dfferent patten but same make as Lucy’s
This is a rare Olde Thompson cruet. It is the same make and shape as the one in Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen but it is painted differently. Lucy’s had an ivy motif. This one has vegetables but is otherwise a good match for the one on the show.
Here is a vintage Olde Thompson Ivy ceramic piece, possibly a planter pot or kitchen container of some sort, from the same collection as the ivy cruet set in Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen. It has the original Olde Thompson sticker still on the base and is approx 4″ by 6″ in size.
Dulling substance is more obvious on the cruet on in picture on the left
Previously we looked at evidence of a dulling substance in use on on one of the mantel statues on I Love lucy. An anti-reflective coating is used when needed to reduce glare for the cameras. Above on the left is a instance from Little Ricky Learns to Play Drums where the cream colored Olde Thompson ivy cruet has been darkened sufficiently to appear gray in tone. The picture to the right is from an earlier episode where the same cruet appears lighter. Here is an example of the same make Olde Thompson cruet in its original state.
The Salt box seen in the I Love Lucy kitchen was made by the same company as the ivy oil and vinegar double cruet, Olde Thompson, and has the markings on the bottom. It’s made of ceramic and is off-white/cream in color with a Rooster and floral design.
Above the salt box on the wall was a metal matchbox holder.
On eBay this week is a vintage Olde Thompson Salt Box in the Imperial Ivy design. The ivy design was also featured on the Olde Thompson cruet seen on I Love Lucy. The Ivy salt box was not seen on the show but there was an Olde Thompson salt box in the same shape on the wall near the kitchen sink.
The complete cruet set seen at an early date in the I love Lucy kitchenOlde Thompson Cruet similar to Lucy Rocardo’s on I Love Lucy matches the Salt Box
Seen on eBay this week is a cruet set advertised as the set from I Love lucy CLICK HERE to view the listing. There is a cert from a prop house but I don’t know if there is any direct provenance to anyone who can verify the authenticity. I am curious that the funnel is present because I assumed it went missing as the funnel is not seen in several episodes of the show. It appears that ivy leaf pattern on the cruet offered on eBay is not an exact match for the cruet seen in the screen shot above when you compare the placement of the ivy leaf shapes. The cruets were hand painted so no two are exactly alike.
If you read the previous post about the Thompson ivy cruet set you will be aware that similar cruet sets from George S. Thompson of Pasadena, Ca. under the Olde Thompson label can still sometimes turn up on for sale, so you may be able to find an identical one for less if you are patient.
Ivy Cruet set Offered on eBay recently. Photo: eBay
Note: I am not an expert on original props and cannot verify the authenticity of any items claimed to be from the show. As always exercise caution and look for reliable provenance.
Another consistent element of the I Love Lucy kitchen decor is a wall mounted cruet set in a wooden stand. Many sets of this type were imported from Japan in the post WW2 years, examples of which can frequently be seen on eBay.
The complete cruet set seen at an early date in the I love Lucy kitchen
The Cruet set on the show consists of a hand painted ceramic double neck oil and vinegar bottle with a matching ceramic handled wooden salad serving fork and spoon plus a funnel to decant the oil and vinegar into the separate compartments of the decorative bottle, all of which fit on a wall mounted wooden stand.
Thompson Pottery Ivy Cruet in the same design as seen on I Love Lucy with label ‘OLDE THOMPSON South Pasadena California’
The set on I love Lucy has a hand painted Ivy design. An identical cruet was sold by George S. Thompson of Pasadena with a label with label ‘OLDE THOMPSON South Pasadena California’. Their hand painted ivy range named “Imperial Ivy” used on salt and pepper sets , salad sets and dining accessories, was marketed to co-ordinate with popular ivy patterned dinnerware from other manufacturers such as the Metlox California Ivy range.
In a later episode you can see that the original funnel is missing and the ceramic handled wooden serving fork and spoon have been replaced with metal ones.
As time went on we see the cruet set on the I Love Lucy has signs that pieces of the salad set went missing, the funnel was lost and the wood serving fork and spoon were replaced by metal ones.
Mid century wall mounted cruet set made in Japan as seen on eBay
Other items from George S. Thompson Co in the Imperial Ivy Design“Olde Thompson” Imperial Ivy Pepper Mill and Salt Shaker set – 1949 promotional photo with Mexlox Califormia Ivy dishes.
Here is an example of the same make Olde Thompson cruet in its original state.
