The History of Tablewares...in a mere 50 words.

Initially, I was under the impression that my object was going to be a painting; however, upon meeting Grace, I quickly realized that instead of a painting, I was faced with not one, but two objects.  Grace handed me a pewter sugar bowl with an engraved decoration and a porcelain gravy boat with a floral transfer-printpattern.  As it neared the deadline for the captions, I worried about how I was going to approach this assignment.  The objects were made of different materials, had different decorations, served different functions, and were produced by different companies.  How was I going to describe the history of two objects in fifty words? 

I then realized that instead of treating them as separate technologies, I should instead treat them as one strand of an evolutionary process.  Being unfamiliar with the history of pewter and somewhat familiar with the history of porcelain, I wondered which one came first and if there was a clear link between the two types of wares.  As a result, I broadened my approach to “tablewares” rather than “pewter-wares” and “porcelain-wares.” 

As I researched tablewares, I was pleased to discover that there were technomic and socio-technic reasons for a shift from pewter to ceramic (porcelain) wares, using the terminology of Lewis Binford as explained by James Deetz.  I saw that there were logical, utilitarian reasons for the change that reflects a greater change in the foodways of 17th and 18th century people.  However, there was also a social transformation that reflected a desire for decorative variety and fashion awareness.  I tried to capture these vital points in the five following captions.


About Consumption

 * Due to its durability, pewter was a primary material used in the manufacture of domestic-tableware assemblages in the 17th and 18th centuries.  However, beginning in the late 18th century, ceramics replaced pewter as hot beverage consumption, such as coffee and tea, flourished while pewter’s decorative limitations were made apparent. 
Written by Laura MacBride

About Foodways

 * Towards the end of the 18th century, ceramics seized the place of pewter on household tables.  A change in foodways contributed to this transformation.  As the consumption of hot beverages like tea and coffee increased, its impracticality became apparent; pewter wasn’t able to hold hot liquids quite like ceramic.
Written by Laura MacBride

About Tablewares

* Pewter, a metal alloy, was used to craft domestic-tablewares until the end of the 18th century, when it became outmoded.  Ceramic wares became fashionable because they offered more stylistic potential, allowing for greater variety within the market.  Ceramic was also favored because it was significantly cheaper to produce than pewter.
Written by Laura MacBride

About Status  

* Domestic pewter wares were indicators of status until the late 18th century when ceramic became the new sign of prosperity. Porcelain, specifically, embodied affluence and was not common in households of modest means.  Interestingly, ceramic was less durable, but allowed for varied styles and decoration that appealed to consumers. 
Written by Laura MacBride

About Social Change

* Pewter’s durability enabled domestic-tablewares to withstand extensive use, making them items of family honor and prestige. However, the progression from pewter to ceramic in the late 18th century indicates social transformation.  Ceramics, while less durable, embodied a new concept of fashion and novelty, making familial history outdated.
Written by Laura MacBride

Sources:

Deetz, James

1996            In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life.  New York: Anchor Books.

Hicks, Dan and Mary C. Beaudry, eds.

2008            The Cambridge Companion to Historical Archaeology.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press