Glass Plates

Glass plates add an air of class to any dining table. Incredibly diverse in quality and design, glass plates nevertheless share the universal appeal of their medium, one of the greatest inventions of the ancient world.

As the most rudimentary of serving pieces, plates and platters have been featured in dinner services well back into the history of human culture. The advent of glass only added to the richness of plate offerings. The beauty of glass plates continued to grow with the rise of crystal glass and the elegant effect it brings to the dining table.

Many glass plates feature elaborate motifs from stylized patterns to historic landmarks. These motifs and patterns created a visual tradition stocked equally with heritage and honed decorative skill. Remaining today is a field of antique glass plates so diverse that it is a collector’s paradise.

Quick Facts

• The word plate is derived from the ancient Greek "platus," which means flat
• An ancient glass plate dating to approximately the 4th century A.D. was recently discovered in pieces in Spain. The mostly-reassembled plate has been scrutinized heavily by leading archaeologists, as it depicts a relatively unusual beardless image of Christ
• The principles of making glass plates extended to larger-scale plate glass production, which was perfected by the late 18th century and allowed for increasingly-elaborate glass applications. Among these notable applications is the famed Crystal Palace that was designed by Joseph Paxton for the 1851 Great Exhibition in London