Collectables

JOHN MCPHEE EVALUATES READERS’ PRECIOUS OBJECTS.

I BOUGHT THESE PLATES

— 10 flat and six footed dessert plates, I think they’re called — but have not been able to find out anything about them. Each piece is slightly different, which is most interesting. Are you able to shed any light on them? Sue Hayward, WAGGA WAGGA, NSW

The Victorians and the Edwardians enjoyed having ‘all the right things’, including tableware for every part of the meal. Your large set, 10 plates and six stands, was almost certainly intended as a fruit or cake set. The stands would have displayed a mixture of dainty cakes or the best fruit of the season, and matching plates would have made for an elegant display of wealth. These sets were not usually used during a main meal, but for morning or afternoon tea or refreshments during hot weather. I cannot make sense of the mark on the base. It is almost certainly not English, and I favour either a French or German factory. The delicate floral decoration — transfer-printed with some hand painting and gilding — and the asymmetrical shape of the plates suggest that the set was made in either the late 19th or early 20th century. More casual dining these days means that there is little use for such a set, however, what a show you could put on.

John Mcphee is an art historian who has worked in art museums for 30 years and was curator of Australian Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia.