Blueberry
A compact Holt Howard breakfast and coffee service distinguished by colorful stripes and sculpted blueberry-and-leaf finials.
A Distinctive Breakfast Pattern
Introduced during the early 1960s, Holt Howard's Blueberry pattern was designed primarily as a coordinated coffee and breakfast service. Its white ceramic bodies are decorated with horizontal bands of pale green, light blue, brown, and dark blue, while lids and shaker tops are crowned by dimensional blue blueberries and painted leaves.
The most elaborate finials appear on the coffee pot, Sugar Jar, and Jam & Jelly jar. Each uses a blueberry surrounded by four leaves—three green and one brown. The Salt & Pepper shakers simplify the motif to a single leaf on each shaker, with one leaf painted green and the other brown.
Most of the documented examples represented here are dated 1963. Shakers dated 1961 and 1964 demonstrate that the pattern was also produced outside that central year. Because no complete period catalog has yet surfaced, additional Blueberry pieces may have existed or may remain undocumented.
Coffee & Beverage Service
Coffee Pot
The tall Coffee Pot anchors the Blueberry service. Its restrained white body and striped lower section direct attention upward to the sculpted blueberry finial. The lid is engineered with a shaped underside lip that fits into the mouth of the pot; when turned into position, it helps prevent the lid from slipping off during pouring.
Coffee Mugs
Each mug carries two complementary Blueberry decorations rather than repeating the same design on both sides. One side presents a small berry-and-leaf motif, while the reverse uses a fuller cluster. The mugs illustrated here face opposite directions so both designs can be seen at once; they are not separate variations.
Condiment & Tabletop Pieces
Cream & Sugar
The Creamer and Sugar Jar repeat the striped lower-body decoration used throughout the line. The Sugar Jar is distinguished by its sculpted blueberry-and-four-leaf finial, while the open Creamer uses a simple pouring form that keeps the coordinated striping visually prominent.
Jam & Jelly Jar
The low, rounded Jam & Jelly jar carries the full Blueberry finial and the line's horizontal striped decoration. Its lid includes a molded slot for the serving spoon, making it both decorative and practical for the breakfast table.
Salt & Pepper Shakers
Two hole-pattern arrangements are presently documented. Shakers dated 1963 use the conventional Holt Howard pairing of two holes for salt and three holes for pepper. Examples dated 1961 and 1964 instead have six holes arranged in a circular pattern on both shakers.
The sculpted tops also divide the leaf colors between the pair: one shaker has a green leaf beside the blueberry, while the other has a brown leaf. The reason for the differing hole arrangements is unknown, and the surviving dated examples do not yet establish a complete production chronology.
Small Utility Dishes ("Ashtrays")
These shallow dishes have traditionally been identified by collectors and sellers as ashtrays, and most known examples have been marketed under that description. However, they lack the molded cigarette rests commonly found on period ceramic ashtrays, leaving their original intended purpose uncertain.
They may instead have served as small berry, nut, candy, condiment, or general-purpose tabletop dishes. Until period catalog documentation is found, ashtray should be understood as a convenient collector term rather than a confirmed Holt Howard product name.
Accent Piece
Bud Vase
The slender Bud Vase carries the Blueberry motif directly on the body rather than using a sculpted finial. Its flared rim, tapered form, striped base, and painted berry-and-leaf cluster make it a compact decorative counterpart to the breakfast service.
A Small but Memorable Line
Blueberry appears to have been a relatively compact line, centered on coffee service, breakfast condiments, and a small number of coordinating tabletop accents. Its modest size does not diminish its visual impact. The alternating colored bands, sculpted blueberry finials, green-and-brown leaf details, and carefully engineered Coffee Pot lid give the pattern a cohesive identity that is immediately recognizable.
The pieces documented here represent the presently known forms available through surviving examples and collector research. Additional pieces may have existed or may remain undocumented, and future catalog discoveries could further clarify both the full extent of the line and the intended purpose of its small utility dishes.