PimpernelCreatures of Curiosty Collection Placemats | Set of 4 | Heat Resistant Mats | Cork-Backed Board | Hard Placemat Set for Dining Table | Measures 15.7” x 11.7”

Beautiful pattern & very well made. Sturdy, durable & easy to clean.

These placemats are very attractive and I use them to complement my other Pimpernel placemats that I've had for almost 30 years! They are thicker than my usual placemats so I use them in the centre of my table as a type of table runner. I am very pleased with this purchase

Well made, protects our table from heat. Easy to clean

This is the most stunning placemat by Pimpernel I have ever seen. I absolutely love the pattern, with its old fashioned flowers and butterflies. It reminds me of antique botanical drawings from maybe the late 1700's to the early 1800's time frame. It truly will make a table setting look elegant. I actually grew up with my Mother using Pimpernel placemats and coasters. They are pretty much indestructible. In fact, I am using a 50+ year old Pimpernel coaster as I write this review that I use every single day. The beauty of Pimpernel products is their sturdiness that is derived from their cork base that works like a combined trivet/ placemat or coaster, allowing you to place hot, cold or wet dishes on the placement and be assured your fine wood table top will be protected from any damage (without a table pad needing to be used). Cloth or laminated plastic placemats try to do that as well, but do not provide protection. If I had to say anything negative about Pimpernel placemats or coasters, it would be that they do stain (as does any placemat), and they do not particularly like being wet or staying damp, as that leads to further staining as well. I suspect this particular placemat pattern, having a dark background may not show the staining as much. The problems with not getting them wet for long does make them harder to clean because the pattern is on some kind of paper secured to the cork, so you can not do any scrubbing of these placemats without damaging the design. A quick wipe off with a damp cloth usually clean up any mess.

Surprised by the weight of the package. These placemats are very thick, non-flexible, with a cool print- flowers, moths, snakes. I included a photo of the edge of one of the placemats, as well as the back, because when it is described as "cork-backed" I imagined the basic cork backing found on drink coasters. This may be cork-backed, but it's like a quarter-inch thick, the sides are sealed with a muted gold coating and there is a slate-colored flocking on the back, so you can't really see the cork texture, which has a pretty luxe effect. The surface is smooth with a sheen. I left them in the box for the photos because the packaging is nice, makes a wonderful gift for the right person, who enjoys Victorian botanical illustrations, perhaps. That describes me so I'm gifting this to myself! They don't seem fragile, but they don't feel like workhorse everyday placemats either. These are more special, so I'll keep them on the table that I don't usually eat at, enjoy looking at them, and use them with company, making sure to wipe them down afterward to keep them nice.