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Patterned plates for all occasions

 

Whether you hang them in clusters on a wall, arrange them beautifully on a dresser or eat your dinner from them, a collection of plates is an everyday treasure (and something to be continually added to).

These generally circular flat dishes evolved from simple carved wooden or clay bowls and trenchers – flat, round pieces of hard bread or wood used in the medieval period. By the 1650s, huge quantities of pewter plates were made as households across the social spectrum replaced their trenchers, although the acid from tomatoes leached the lead in the pewter and caused poisonings, leading to a major fear of the fruit.

Then along came the European ceramics industry, with the likes of Josiah Wedgwood opening potteries in the mid 18th century, making porcelain and bone china plates available to the masses. Something about their hygiene and the ability to decorate ceramic plates has meant they endure to this day.

Take a look through this gallery to get a taste of the pretty patterns you'll be able to find, whether old or new. 

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