Behind the Print: Eat Your Asparagus

While our print was inspired by French pottery, it is interesting to understand the power and symbolism of asparagus across many cultures. 

The asparagus plant was depicted in an Egyptian frieze created as far back as five thousand years ago. Queen Nefertiti, a famed Egyptian royal was believed to have enjoyed the vegetable. Archaeologists found traces of asparagus on dishware when excavating the Pyramid of Sakkara, along with other coveted foods such as figs and melons.

Although the name of this print is Eat Your Asparagus, you also see some cabbage and artichokes in the mix. Including these vegetables was also inspired by Majolica pottery. 

With their soft centers and thick protective leaves, artichokes are said to symbolize hope, peace, and prosperity. They are also said to represent love, as the center of the artichoke is called the heart.

In Chinese culture, the cabbage is the symbol of prosperity and wealth. They say, when you pull a leaf from a cabbage there is another one to peel which is a metaphor for abundance.

Finally, you will also see a bird perched on some of the vegetables. The birds in this print are not so much specific varieties, but a general depiction of a delicate songbird. 

Inspired by vintage ceramics that feature dainty birds in place of handles or as extra decoration, these small, cheerful birds remind us of the chickadees, buntings, and finches that serenade us as we garden.

Amy says, “I love lettuce plates, and green vegetable ceramics so green had to be a big part of the palette, and I love the purple in there as it’s like the color of cabbage and is a purple that we love for pajamas.”  

While rich purple is a flattering feminine color for many it can be harder to wear in clothes outside of the house. At home, we have the luxury of being as fancy as we like, so we jumped at the chance to incorporate it into this pajama print.

No matter what style of pajamas you like, you can easily add a pair featuring this bold print to your rotation. Eat Your Asparagus is available in a Long Sleep Set, Short Sleep Set, Sleep Shirt, and Robe. With the rich colors and richer symbols, what might you manifest for yourself when you wear these pajamas?