Pewter Plate, ca. 1750 - 1800

Pewter, imported from France, was a practical alternative to delicate faience (tin-glazed earthenware) dishes in colonial Illinois. Pewter dishes were less likely to break and could be melted down and recast if damaged. Pewter was too soft to make useful forks and knives, which required iron. Although guilds of pewterers operated in France, there is no record of pewterers in French Illinois. The estate inventory of Marie Catherine Baron values 20 plates, a large dish, a small dish, and a pot at 85 livres. These may have been pewter since crockery plates are listed separately in the inventory.

Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Boardman and Mr. & Mrs. Grant Mueller, Springfield, IL, in memory of Phillip Mueller.
Made in Europe

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96