What does polychrome mean in this context?

It refers to wares painted in multiple colours rather than just the standard blue and white. You'll find combinations of yellow, green, iron red and manganese purple. These pigments were applied over the white tin glaze before firing. The technique allowed potteries to create complex floral and geometric patterns.

My grandmother left me a collection of these plates and I noticed some have different coloured backs, is that normal for early pieces?

Yes, this is a known feature on certain regional examples. Many potteries applied a less expensive lead glaze to the reverse of the plate to save money on expensive tin oxide. This leaves the back looking slightly yellowish or clear rather than opaque white. It's particularly common on English tin-glazed wares. Dutch potteries tended to use the white tin glaze on both sides, though variations exist depending on the specific factory and period.

Can I use these for dinner?

It isn't recommended. The low-fired earthenware body is relatively soft and the glaze is prone to chipping if knocked with cutlery. Most surviving plates are treated as display pieces today. Constant washing risks water seeping into any unglazed areas.

I have been looking at a few chargers and plates online but I am confused about why some of the blue colours look almost black in places while others are bright blue?

The fired colour of the cobalt oxide depends on the pigment concentration. Where painters applied the mixture thickly, it fires to a dark navy blue. Areas with a thinner application fire to a lighter tone. Kiln temperature and the specific glaze recipe also cause variations in how the blue develops.

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Antique Delft Plates

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Antique Delft plates are tin-glazed earthenware dishes, often painted with cobalt blue or polychrome designs on a white ground, originally produced in the Netherlands to provide a local alternative to expensive imported Chinese porcelain.