These Paper Napkins (I Got at Wegmans) Are Like Tiny Works of Art
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
Last Sunday, I — along withcolleagues from Grub Streetand hundreds of others — spent a rainy morning at the debut location of the city’s newestgrocerychain,Wegmans. In the two hours I roamed its aisles, I witnessed thefervorandcommunityamong customers and employees that many say is what sets the grocery store apart. I also saw a lot of stuff: most of it either your standard supermarket fare and brands or things made by Wegmans, like its freshchocolate-chipcookies (which have their ownReddit thread) or bountiful meat-and-cheese plates that made me want to plan a party just so I could have a reason to go back and buy one.
Being the “upscale” grocer that it is, Wegmans also has a selection ofkitchen toolsand othernonfood productsfor the home. Among them are some paper napkins decorated with scenes and patterns made by a company called Caspari. The prints genuinely looked like ones that places like Kaas GlassWorks or John Derian would use to make a fancydecoupagetray. I left with some autumnal napkins sporting an intricately painted turkey surrounded by acorns (my husband and I arehosting Thanksgiving) and, not being familiar with the brand, did some Googling when I got home.
Some may laugh at the thought of “museum quality” napkins, but the term isn’t that far-fetched here. Caspari, which has been in the paper-napkin business for some 70 years, produces some napkins in partnership with cultural institutions like Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and others with heritage luxury-décor brands like Scalamandré. WhileMyDrap napkinsare stylish for their minimalism, Caspari’s — which are notlinenbut a sturdy “triple ply” tissue — are for making a visual statement. Were it not for small, telling details like those little dots paper napkins have around the edges, you could honestly stick one in a frame and pass it off as art (albeitcheap but expensive-lookingart). While they may be cheap for art, they’re not the cheapest napkins — but if you’rehosting a partyorholidaymeal, one set will go a long way toward completing your table décor. And for the right super-specific person, a pack could even make a nicehost or hostess gift. Best of all: You don’t have to go to Wegmans to get them, as many of the brand’s most interesting napkins — including 12 of my favorites, below — are sold online.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Caspari Matisse Paper Cocktail Napkins
These blue-and-white chinoiserie-style napkins look a lot like Blue Willow china. A note: All of the napkins come in various sizes. Cocktail is the smallest, luncheon is slightly larger, and dinner is the largest; if you like any on this list but want something bigger or smaller, be sure to click the link to see what other sizes are available.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The napkins Caspari produced withScalamandrélook just like its beloved (and far more expensive) wallpaper.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A set of tulip napkins created with artist Karen Kluglein (who Casparinotes“taught botanical painting at the New York Botanical Garden”).
New! You can now save this product for later.
A painterly print that feels very de Kooning.
New! You can now save this product for later.
These napkins, which Caspari produced withartist Lulu de Kwiatkowski, recall thecolor-study printsmade by the Cut’s former Instagram editorEmily Sundberg(which two different friends of mine now have hanging in their apartments).
New! You can now save this product for later.
A stately set with a geometric bamboo print that Caspari made in collaboration with theU.K.’s Royal Horticultural Society.
New! You can now save this product for later.
These moody floral napkins were produced from a print by the London-basedCollier Campbell studio, which has worked with blue-chip fashion brands like Liberty and Saint Laurent. If you don’t like the black, these also come in awhite background.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Perfect for a Christmas-dinner table, the print on these was inspired by Scottish tartans (and, to the naked eye, kind of looks like real fabric).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Another eye-catching chinoiserie set.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Produced with theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, these bear a replica ofThe Great Wave off Kanagawa, the famous woodblock print that Japanese artist Hokusai created in the mid-19th century.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This set, madein collaboration with Bridgeman Images, features a detail ofartist Gustav Klimt’s workHope, II, highlighting “the intricacy of his ornate decorations,” according to Caspari.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Finally, the set I bought for our Thanksgiving table. It’s a collaboration with artist Pamela Gladding, who Caspari says looks to her “garden as well as the birds, and bees, that visit” for inspiration.
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestacne treatments,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,natural anxiety remedies, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
