The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-10
PEWTER COLLECTING A FAD.
New Interest in Tableware of Early
American DAYS.

New Interest in Tableware of Early
American Days.
The interest which the turn of the CEN
fury seems to have awakened in things
historical has caused the pewter cult to
lourish and grow apace. Possibly the
large output of historical novels treating
or colonial life may also have helped to
stimulate the zeal of the pewter collec-
tor Certain it is that this ware, so
long treated with ignominy and relegated
TO OBLIVION, has emerged in triumph to
occupy place of honor on sideboards,
pG1etS and shelves. Pewter collecting
has become the fad of the moment 1t
is very mild dissipation, compared
with many other forms of the collecting
mania, for very good specimens may be
obtained at reasonable prices 1t is only
the rare specimens and unique patterns
that bring high prices. Odd bottles are
articles are almost invariably good and
decorative. 1t is we'll to remember how
ever that one piece of pewter is never
effeGttve; 1T is only in Quantity that
good results are to be obtained. A shelf
OF pewter, consisting of a row of pitchers,
JUGS, bowls, etc, backed by a line of
plates and p1atters, is. a joy to the eve
The soft brightness, yielded by the ware
When polished, is exceedingly pleasing
When arranged in a room with colonial
fed
Nothing. seems more intimately sug-
gestive of colonial life than these artl.
cles which played SO important part in
1t: That was literally an age of pewter.
There were pewter forks and spoons,
pewter bowls, pewter plates, pewter bot
Ties and cans, in fact pewter everything
as far as the dining table was concerned
The gauge of a housewives industry was
the brightness of her pewter MANY a
Ialr bride was toasted by wedding guests
from hlgh pewter tankards and in many
households no other tableware was en-
ployed. The Revolution, which brought
IN It's track SO many changes, wrought
very decided one in tableware Pew
ter was replaced by crockery and never
regained its prestige.
The word pewter is a generic term
Tor variety of alloys Tin forms the
predomlnatlng. compound, but ordinary
pewter is tin allowed with lead, this lat
finest pewter is tin, hardened by the adj
dition of trife of copper. Britannia is
a material which often goes by the
name OF pewter. 1t is a harder compo-
sition, and at one time it was consider
ed a great improvement on pewter. 1t
is not, however, as interesting to collect
ors., though most Of its shapes are as
good
Old pewter has gained, as everything
lasting does, a mellowness with age, and
has look as if good quantity of silver
Were added. This may not be So but
certainly 1T has a very different look
and feel than modern pewter. The
first thing to do on getting an old pewter
piece" is to have it thoroughly cleaned.
and this is really difficult task to the
amateur, especially when, as frequently
happens. it has been left untouched for
some time, perhaps because it has been
lying by unused. or to give the truly
old look, which the dealer values If
the pewter is very dirty which is gener-
ally the case, its soft surface being in
elined TO absorb grease and dirt. it should
be boiled in strong soda water. and aft
erWard cleaned with the usual prepara-
ton. Brick dust and paraff1ne is a, very
good mixture.
Much of the old pewter is marked with
what looks like the old silver stamps
and this is highly thought of There are
also registered pewter marks. but no
names of makers are preserved. so that
1t is very difficult to trace the exact
period
Pewter was apparently made before the
Roman period. and in the British mu-
scum are to be found fine specimens of
old pewter dishes and vessels in frag-
ments, which were found near some Ro-
heart. near Andover Hants. There is
also in the British museum a plate fine
ly engraved with the Resurrection, de-
pictipg angels with emblems of the pas
sion and one dated 1919 In the Franks
collection are a good number of spoons
one pied de Biche'' spoon, William and
Mary. with their heads engraved on the
top. 1890; also an old kitchen spoon with
pastry cutter top eighteenth century
found near Fleet street. There is a very
fine English pewter dish. dated 1888. and
inscribed Tone Coppin,'' Susan Church.
and dish with the arms of All Souls,
Oxford. engraved on it, found in Oxford
early IN the seventeenth century, and
given to the museum by John Jennings.
Also three pewter plates. stamped with
crown and feathers, found with others
near Guys hospital probably about the
time of Henry VIII.-Brooklyn Eagle.