Antique Plates

There are lots of lovely antique and vintage plates on the market and they make for attractive display items. Antique plates can be used for their purpose of serving food but largely they are purchased as a decorative feature for the home, they look nice displayed on a shelf or in a dresser and the variety of styles and art work available means they can fit with a variety of décor.

There are antique English, antique Victorian, antique Edwardian and Georgian plates to name but a few to choose from. Often made with quality craftsmanship and decorated with intricate and ornate artworks, there are many beautiful plates. Reminders of dinners long since past and their previous owners.

History of Plates

A plate is a flat vessel for serving food, originally early man would have used shells, leaves, and elementary pieces of wood and hard bread as a means to serve and eat off. Man discovered clay early on and some of the earliest plates were made using this material. Initially trenchers were used, made from hard bread to hold meals they were often discarded at the end of the meal, trenchers were also made of wood and earthenware. 

In the middle ages those who could afford it may have had pewter plates, with trenchers reserved for poor people. Plates became more functional and elaborate over the years and moved from being made from pottery, pewter and different metals to china and porcelain.

The Chinese made the first ceramic plates 600AD, they also created the porcelain plate and when international trade between Europe and China began in the 14th C, porcelain plates became incredibly desirable and sought after by European nobility. Often these porcelain plates were brought by the wealthy to display as they were something not everyone could afford to purchase. In the 18thC porcelain was made in Europe, firstly by Wedgwood and Spode and became increasingly popular.

Types of Antique Plate

Collecting plates became more and more popular in the 19th C and by the mid 20th C the purchase of antique plates increased in demand considerably. There are lots of designs of antique plates available, including those decorated with artwork depicting flowers, animals, battle scenes, picturesque landscapes, Japanese scenes and portraits. They may have intricate embellishments, gilded decoration and metallic rims. The particular glaze, style and design depend on who created it and the period in which it was made.

Extremely popular antique plates were those created by Spode, with their well-known blue and white transfers, these are valuable and highly sought after. Royal Worcester antique plates make for nice collectables; founded in 1751 they are of high quality and are attractive to collectors. Worcester artists include James Hadley, John Stinton, Richard Seabright and Harry Davis. Royal Worcester antique plates are a good investment piece.

Another investment piece is the Royal Doulton plate, which in 1901 was granted royal warrant by King Edward VII. Christmas plates are also a desirable collectors item and Royal Copenhagen who began to depict Christmas scenes on their plates in 1910, as well as Rosenthal the same year, are very desirable. Other nice antique china plates include those made by Limoges. 

When purchasing an antique plate, of note as a good investment pieces are limited edition plates, commemorative plates, as well as silver and crystal antique plates, all of which will look eye-catching displayed in ones home.