I am happy to present a very rare Botanic Garden 9.5 by 7.5 tablemat set of siz featuring the Night Flowering Cereus, Venus Fly Trap, Spanish Gum Cistus, Blue Passion Flower, Trailing Bindweed, and Dog Rose. Each arrangement is different than the motif on salad plates. The set is very unique and very rare and comes in the original Portmeirion Clover Leaf box! The Cereus, Venus Fly Trap and Cistus have been retired for many years. Please see below for a description of each flower.


PLEASE NOTE: The color on each mat is even and consistent. My lighting is a little uneven so some parts of the mat look darker than they should. In person there is an even nice white background.

These tablemats (also called Melamats) were made back in the 1970's by Clover Leaf of a melamine surface on a wood-like base with a dark foam backing. The surface is very fragile and scratches easily. If these were used at all, they were well taken care of. The flower colors are bright and are in excellent condition with NO SCRATCHES, wear, or other signs of use!

--> Night Flowering Cactus <---

The Cereus motif, known for its big interesting flower head, was an original 1972 flower on salad plates and retired years ago in 1985. It was inspired by image in an 1824 book,The Universal Herbal by Thomas Green.

--> Venus Fly Trap <---

An interesting plant, The Venus' Flytrap was an original dinner plate motif produced from 1972 until retired in 1995. It was inspired by image in a 1824 book,The Universal Herbal by Thomas Green.

--> Spanish Gum Cistus <---

The Spanish Gum Cistus was an original 1972 bread and butter plate motif and retired in 1985. It can be found on many Portmeirion shapes and is also rarely seen on salad plates in a 'Double' form. When the Spanish Gum Cistus was retired from plates it continued to be used on other shapes such as vases and soup tureens. However, after 1985, it was called the White Cistus and did not carry either a common or latin name. The design was inspired by image in a 1824 book,The Universal Herbal by Thomas Green.

--> Blue Passion Flower <---

The Passion Flower was an original 1972 dinner plate motif and retired recently in 2003. The long lived design was based on a William Clarke illustration in the 1835 antique botany book Moral of Flowers by Mrs. Hey.

--> Trailing Bindweed <---

The Trailing Bindweed motif is an original flower on salad plates and is still in production to this day. There are two versions of Bindweed. In 1994, insects were rearranged. It was inspired by image in an 1824 book,The Universal Herbal by Thomas Green.

--> Dog Rose <---

The Dog Rose motif, famous for its huge bee, was an original 1972 flower on salad plates and still remains in production today. It is based on an image found in a 1835 botany book with illustrations by William Clarke,Moral of Flowers, and written by Mrs. Hey.

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Copied from an old flyer, following is documentation regarding use and care:

CLOVER LEAF MELAMATS

MELAMATS are now an established form of protection for polished tables. No other form of table-mat offers quite the same delicacy of colour combined with the almost indestructable durability provided by melamine lamination.

MELAMATS are resistant to high temperature and may be safely used at temperatures exceeding boiling point of water 100C and up to 145C under normal conditions.

MELAMATS are resistant to stains from food and drinks. They are not affected by grease, alcohol or weak domestic acids such as fruit juice.

MELAMATS are highly resistant to warping, and the laminated surface resists scratch marks incurred in normal domestic use. The felt backing protects polished surfaces.

To clean, simply wipe surface with damp cloth or soapy water. DO NOT IMMERSE IN WATER, as this may damage felt backing.

MADE IN UNITED KINGDOM

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Size	9-1/2" by 7-1/2" and about 1/4" thick
Front / Back	The flower on each tablemat has nice rich color with no fading. Both the matte finish surface and back foam covering are in great condition. There are no signs of use or damage that I can see. The foam back also is in super condition with no missing pieces, rips, tears, or gouges.
Face Background	Very White
Stains	None
Use Marks	None

There are no markings or stickers on the back and there may never have been any ID marks. The photos of the box below are borrowed from a similar box that only held four mats.

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--> Similar Box <---