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Perusing the Pineapple: How a Culinary Delight Became a Classic Motif in Artistic Design

by Carol Alexander

It is a well-known fact among crochet enthusiasts that the beautiful pineapple motif is a much-loved and traditional staple of crochet design. This enduringly popular motif has been seen in most every type of crochet pattern, be it an elegant table accent, lacy garment or heirloom bedspread.

Where did this charming artistic design originate?  It certainly wasn’t within the realm of needlework. The appearance of the pineapple motif happened long before it was incorporated into the needle arts, and begins, naturally, with the discovery of the pineapple fruit itself.

It is widely believed that the first known account of the pineapple was given by Christopher Columbus after his second voyage to the Caribbean in 1493. Upon arriving on the island now known as Guadeloupe, Columbus and his crew went ashore to inspect a Carib village and discovered there the curious, never before seen pineapple. It is, in fact, the Carib who first offered the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality by placing it at their village entrances as a sign of welcome to visitors.

The European sailors feasted on this delightfully tasty fruit and marveled at its odd construction of an abrasive, segmented exterior, yet succulent, pulpy interior like an apple. They decided to take some samples of this delicious new discovery back to Europe, which at that time was largely bereft of common sweets. Refined sugar and fresh fruits were rare items and highly prized commodities. Spain’s Emperor Charles V was the first European monarch to try a pineapple, and proclaimed it a most delightful treat. England’s King Charles II, similarly enchanted with the delectable delicacy, had the pineapple immortalized in fine artwork by the court painter.

The Spaniards called the strange new fruit piña, after the pinecone, because of its cylindrical shape and rough, spiky surface. The Portuguese and other Europeans called the fruit ananaz from the Carib name nana. It was through the English, who observed the same similarities and comparisons in the fruit’s appearance, that the word “pineapple” ultimately evolved.

The popularity of the pineapple, and its symbolism of hospitality, eventually spread to Colonial America. In early colonial days, homes served as the centers of community activities. Visiting between families and neighbors was the primary source of entertainment, news and cultural interchange. The concept of hospitality—the warmth, courtesy and manner in which guests were received into the home—was an important element in the emotional life of colonial society.

This was especially evident in the fellowship of sharing meals. Because the pineapple was often difficult and expensive to import, usually only the finest and most important meals or celebrations boasted this coveted delicacy. The pineapple literally crowned these feasts, often being displayed aloft on special pedestals as the pinnacle of the table’s bounty.

Throughout early American history, a hostess’s ability to offer pineapple at an important dinner event said as much for her resourcefulness in obtaining the delicacy as it did for her social rank. So sought after was the prickly pineapple for creative dinner table displays that colonial confectioners sometimes rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit would be sold to other, more affluent customers for actual consumption. Because the pineapple had become the visual centerpiece and prominent keystone of the feast, it naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of these social events and express a sense of welcome, good cheer, warmth and affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings.

It is hardly surprising, then, that the pineapple’s key role as a gesture of friendship and hospitality in creative table displays ultimately brought about its natural evolvement as a favorite motif in other areas of artistic design. Architects, artisans and craftsmen began incorporating the pineapple design into many of their creations.

Just as the Carib welcomed visitors with pineapples at their village entrances, it soon became a customary practice to adorn the main gate posts or columns at the entrances of early American homes with pineapple designs as a sign of welcome. Weather vanes often sported copper or brass pineapples, doors were carved with pineapple motifs, and walls, chair backs and tabletops displayed creative pineapple stencils.  Pineapple designs were woven into tablecloths, napkins, draperies and carpets. From the finest china kilns emerged beautiful porcelain dishware, bowls, pitchers and vases shaped like pineapples, or displaying delicate pineapple motifs.

As the popularity of the pineapple motif spread throughout the world of creative design, it was inevitable that this highly regarded symbol of gracious welcome found its way into the delicate and capable hands of needleworkers, who preserved the pineapple motif in treasured family heirlooms created over the centuries. Nearly all forms of stitch work, including embroidery, needlepoint and sewing, boasted beautiful pineapple designs in such decorative household items as samplers, tablecloths, furniture upholstery and pictorial needlework.

The art of crochet also began incorporating the pineapple pattern in a number of domestic accessories, including doilies, table runners, luncheon sets, antimacassars, bedspreads and curtains. Designs for delicate crochet edgings on handkerchiefs, bed linens and garments also made creative use of the pineapple motif.

The popularity of the pineapple motif in crochet has endured throughout time, and is believed by many crochet enthusiasts to have no equal in beauty or appeal as an artistic crochet design. Today, the use of pineapple motifs can be found in almost any type of crochet creation, including aprons, pot holders, towels, coasters, wall hangings, holiday decorations, afghans, rugs and all types of fashion apparel and accessories.

Whether carved in wood, fired in porcelain, chiseled in stone, painted in oils or stitched in thread, the beautiful, exotic pineapple stands as a reminder of a much less complicated time in history when all life literally revolved around that special place called home—be it a small, primitive settlement or a stately colonial house. We have been left with an enduring icon of friendship and goodwill, a proud tradition, indeed, to cherish and preserve in the fine needle art of crochet.