White House unveils blue-trimmed Obama state china (w/video)

The official state china of President Barack Obama's administration is a modern-inspired service trimmed in a blue that recalls the waters of his native state of Hawaii, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be among the first guests to eat from it tonight at a state dinner in his honor.

Michelle Obama's office said the first lady chose what has been dubbed "Kailua Blue" to distinguish her family's china from the red, green, blue and yellow used on more recent state services. Kailua is the upscale bedroom community of Honolulu where the Obama family spends Christmas vacation.

William Allman, the White House curator, said the "modern and fresh" blue had never been used on White House china.

"Mrs. Obama's main goal was to create a modern service that is completely compatible and interchangeable and usable with all the historic china services" that are used for official entertaining, Allman said Monday during a preview of the Japanese state dinner.

Each 11-piece setting includes a first for presidential tableware — an individual tureen that can be used for soup, dessert or "any other dish that the chefs get creative and decide they would like to serve with a little panache in an individual serving size," Allman said.

The china, which has settings for 320 people, cost about $367,000. It was paid for from a private fund that is administered by the White House Historical Association and used to acquire fine and decorative arts for the presidential mansion.

Presidents aren't required to have a state china service and some, including Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, had none.

Betty Monkman, a former White House curator and author for the White House Historical Association, said state china services have been purchased for a variety of reasons, including a presidential family's desire to have their stamp on something that's left behind. Planning for the Obama state china began in fall 2011.