Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-06
DINNER DISHES.
WHAT 10 PUT ON YOUR TABLES 70 PHASE
YOUR GUESTS.
The Art Of Buying Good China, And How
Take Care Of lt-Dscorais II 10 Suit
Its Own Especial UsA
Ne,D York Times.

Mt1 YORK Times.
Ceramics Is the name given to those
productions of the potter's art that as
sist in forming the famous collections
which now and then startle the world
as objects of beauty and price. Though
still examples OF the same art, our plates
and dishes are not dignified with that
newly-coined word These objects OF
like porcelain, when made to serve are
china. Since the early part OF the six
teenth century the word has been so APP
piled. From the East the Portuguese
fetched the first pieces Of Chinese por-
celain to Western Europe. In its new
quarters the ware bore its country's
name, one that has proved elastic enough
TO include all earthenware and porce-
lain, made under certain conditions
without reference to locality.
Varieties are named after localities or
makers; each variety has q style OF dec
Grafton peculiar to itself in color and de-
sign, besides being further distinguished
by depth Of glaze and thickness OF
paste. With little observation any
one can soon learn to tell the produc-
tions Of the leading manufactures with
out having to turn up the plate, as one
Of Helen's babies did, to see the picture
marking underneath. Sevres and Meis-
sen are familiar in many respects. par
ticularly in the whiteness OF the porce-
lain and the translucency OF the glaze.
This glaze over the deep blue color that
is peculiar to Sevres is wonderfully
beautiful. Spode is the perfection OF
paste and glaze, but being tender porce-
lain II is too fragile for real service.
Copeland is noted more for its beauti-
fully painted decoration than the
quality Of the china, which is rather
heavy. In this respect it is similar to
some OF the Chinese ware. Delft has a
yellowish tinge originally. Royal Wor-
cester and Crown Derby both initiate
the blue Canton china, the former In
dark blue and the latter in paler shade
of the same color. The Japanese AMI
Chinese wares are known by the designs
peculiar TO the two nations, but II Is too
seldom seen on the table to allow one TO
learn the different makes, except the
blue, known probably from having
been purchased there first) as Canton,
In form this ware is often imperfect.
Its beauty lies In its glaze. Limoges Is
thicker ware; that and Haviland COM
pete for favor to-day. American pot
teries produce china OF good paste and
glaze, fine in form and beautiful In
painted ornamentation.
Complete services OF all the varieties
mentioned can be bought at any large
china shop. Fashion, who is stern ar
bitrator, is lenient about the service OF
china on our tables. Plates and dishes
from opposite corners Of the globe may
appear at one meal. We may even go q
step further. The plates Of one course
may each be specimen from q differ
enr pottery, like size alone is necessary.
Entire dinner services have been made
from specimen and defective plates.
The former are sent from potteries to
shops as examples OF their work and as
illustrations OF new styles and designs.
Intrinsically they have value, but to
the shopkeeper they have none unless
some china collector happens along as a
buyer. Defective plates are those that
are ruined In the firing process. They
are imperfect in the eyes OF the potter,
who must keep his ware up to certain
standard OF excellence, but In the eyes
OF the average mortal they are excellent
indeed. Such pieces OF china can be
bought sub rosa, near the potteries,
cheap in comparison with the good
ware. In both these ways $50 plate
may be bought for SIS or near 1t. A good
point about such varied set Is that
more than dozen plates can be In use
without showing the drafting upon an
other and different set-a necessity
resulting from an emergency.
There is a partial return TO plain
white china by those who are wearied
of the exnberant decorationg that have
lowered, scrawled, and spotted all table
ware by creation OF the artist or cheap
decalcomanie. A plain white dish or
plate may easily be replaced II broken,
and, like many another valueless object,
It will escape many catatrophies, a single
one of which would shatter less frag-
lie painted mate. But painted ware will
not disappear until natures coloring
materials are exhausted and artists no
longer use the brush.
The English make OF china can be
distinguished from all others by the
large-slzed plates with fiat rim; the
French make a deep plate with an In
clined rim; the American potteries imi-
tate both styles.
The average service one buys has
three dozen plates for soup, roast, salad,
or dessert, with dozen dessert saucers
added: four, sometimes six, covered
vegetable dishes; long, narrow fish
dish: two or three meat dishes OF differ
emit pattern, a soup bowl aud ladle, sew
eral sauce bowls, and often small Gus
tard bowls or cups, with after-dinner
coffee cups. Such set for daily use,
or for a present, is very good, but for
practIcal dinner party giving IL Is not a
wise purchase. A dozen plates OF one
kind are often not sufficient for the
number OF guests invited, and three sets
are not equal TO six courses, or rather
seven courses, necessary TO q modest
dinner party, unless there Is an expedi
tjous handDaiden in the pantry 70 wash
and dry the plates. Only then can three
sets be made 10 answer.
Oysters on the half-shell can be served
on the largest size, soup In plates In
tended for the purpose, fish on the small
or dessert plates. During these courses
the large plates have been easily made
ready for the roast. At the end Of this
course there will be scramble, and pos
siblh a hiatus, for the same plates must
appear again for game. Between and
with the salad and dessert similar risk
Is run, unless the hostess Is thoughtful
enough to serve dessert that car come
in on saucers. This will allow the maid
in the pantry more time for preparing
the small plates that will be needed
again at the last for fruit.
Rather than so harass herself with
the fears and doubts Of such Q dinner.