[Sca-cooks] trenchers

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Aoghann wrote:
>I have heard this before, and it amazes me. When did precious metals and
>fine porcelain start being used in table service? (or restart, as the
>case may be)

Fine china (not always porcelain) and silver and bronze/brass were 
staples on Near and Middle Eastern tables. The Persians also imported 
celadon ware and blue-and-white wear (often porcelain) from China for 
hundreds of years in SCA period.

And don't forget glass. The use of glass began in either Ancient 
Mesopotamia or Ancient Phoenicia, and seems never to have ceased to 
be used in the Near and Middle East.

I don't know about glass in al-Andalus, but fine china and fine 
metals were on the dining table since early on - al-Andalus, Muslim 
Spain, began around 711 and didn't cease to be until 1492.
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita