Featured 19th Century Water Plate

Up until today, I'd only ever seen photographs of these things online. I always thought they were fascinating little inventions, and when one came up for sale, I nabbed it! There's a bit of glazing loss here and there (which may or may not be a manufacturing fault), but either way, there's no chips, cracks or breakages...



It's not super-large, but I think it's interesting and attractive enough. That said, if the chance came up to buy another one...well...then I'd have two of them!

 

So how does it work?

 

Pour hot water into the openings - the water warms the porcelain and therefore keeps the food served on it warm longer. I remember "baby plates" that worked the same way (yes, from MY childhood.)

 

Thanks. Now I see. So in the 1800's when you are bringing from the kitchen that is in another building you could keep the food warm. Clever. (Not saying you were born in the 1800's )

 

My mother always put the dinner plates in a warm oven before bringing them to the table to accomplish the same effect.

 

Nice, Shangas!!! And it's not even SILVER!!!!!

 

However that cobalt blue design will go nicely with all that shiney silver stuff.

 

Nice find!

 

They were still making baby plates like this in the 20s and 30s. Pretty sweet find. I have a "slot" over my wall oven, created when we had to replace an older bigger oven with a smaller new one. (old one broke) The plates go up in there to keep warm. That works if you're eating close to the stove, but for a manor house it wouldn't.

 

Such things are still around. I had a Very Ornate silver one. Also had one made of fabric and something stiff. One could place a dinner plate on top of each stiff section - six places to be exact. The only problem was, the fabric was something calico, and my dinner plates were "the Queen is coming."

 

The only ones I've seen that there outside of the 1800s/early 1900s were the little kiddy ones.

 

Very nice, @Shangas !

 

Lots of baby food warmer still around,this one the head pops out and you fill it with hot water it by Hankscraft