
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 6, 1993                   TAG: 9306030101
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NEW CHINA IS OUT OF THIS WORLD

Since the Clintons haven't yet announced their choice of White House china, they might consider this very American, yet also out of this world, pattern for their next state dinner.

"Star Trek." The china.

Paramount Pictures originally commissioned a custom china pattern from Pfaltzgraff for the December 1991 movie "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." The bone china, used by the crew of the USS Enterprise at a formal dinner on the starship held to promote peace between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, was also reproduced in a limited edition by Pfaltzgraff.

The stalwart Trekkers, as fans of "Star Trek" are called, immediately bought out every piece. No surprise. In its 27 years, "Star Trek" has spawned three television series, six films and a merchandising industry in excess of half a billion dollars, according to Paramount.

So this spring, Pfaltzgraff, one of the country's oldest potteries, decided to create two new adaptations of the original movie pattern, one in fine bone china and one in stoneware. The stoneware, with its center medallion a logo of the USS Enterprise starship in gold and blue, is available for $24.99 for a three-piece place setting.

Or you can wait until July, when Pfaltzgraff offers 24th Century dinnerware designed to commemorate the premiere year of the "Star Trek" spinoff TV series "Deep Space Nine." It features a triangular shaped dinner plate, saucer and a cup without a handle for non-earthlings without fingers.

by CNB