[Sca-cooks] re: english and french pottery was re: tableware

[Mercy Neumark]

>I just don't think I can support it being used as plates/trenchers to >eat
>off of, that's all. Nor can I support wood or metal for the same >purpose.
>They don't appear in teh pictures, nor in inventories, etc. But when >they
>finally appear in very late period, the majority seem to be metal, and
>'plate' was a popular thing to pawn if you got into difficulties.

I have pictures from the J.Paul Getty Museum of plates from 1275 and
onwards, which were used to eat off of on a daily basis and not as serving
dishes (I do have pictures of serving dishes too).  I can scan the sketches
of plates that were found in England as well if it would help. I also have
"Three Books of the Potter" by Picilopasso (misspelling his name horribly)
that was written roughly 1535 that goes over not only the production of
pottery, but examples of pottery this gentleman made/saw.  While this is
later period, the pottery he was using in Umbria, I believe, was in business
for a LONG time before that (maiolica potteries began to crop up in Italy in
11th century and began closing down in the 17ish-18th centuries).

I'll try to find some painting showing plates because I am pretty certain
that I've seen something.  Flemish Still lifes come to mind, but I could
very easily be wrong.  I'll delve deeper into this an report later. :)

--Arte the pottery sleuth

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