On a recent visit to The Crown Amersham (British designer Ilse Crawford’s modern take on the traditional coaching inn of yore), I was particularly taken with the pewter plates in the dining room.
Commonly used in England from the 1500s to 1700s, pewter plates are durable, handsome, and pay reference to an earlier age. Vintage pieces can be found on eBay, but shoppers should note that older plates often contain lead, which was used as a hardener at the time. Here are two options at different ends of the price spectrum.
Above: Breakfast served on pewter plates at the Crown.
Above: A pewter charger, handmade in Northern Italy, from Match. The company’s pewterware is comprised of 95 percent tin, and each piece is stamped with a hallmark. The Match Pewter Toscana Charger is $250 for a large from Didriks.
Above: For those looking for something less expensive, Thomas Dale offers Pewter Plates for $62.
N.B. For more, see our 425 back issues of Tabletop.
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