Noël — Le Cartouche Paper Placemat (Pad of 25)

A red cartouche on a deep green ground — the shaped shield that framed a monogram or a motto on an 18th-century door panel or a title page, blown up until it fills the mat.

Most holiday placemats put a wreath in the middle, which leaves the plate sitting on top of a picture. This one is a shape rather than a scene, so whatever china you own reads against it cleanly. It is the graphic piece in the Noël range, and it does the most work per square inch.

A tear-away pad: a fresh sheet lifts off for each setting, and the used one goes in the bin. 12″ × 18″, 25 sheets to the pad.

Red and green at full strength, held apart by the drawing, so the pairing reads as ornament rather than as wrapping paper.