What is the difference between faience and porcelain?

Faience consists of tin-glazed earthenware with an opaque, absorbent body that was fired at moderate temperatures. Porcelain is a vitrified, hard material fired at much higher temperatures, producing a non-porous and often translucent body. Porcelain items typically display finer painted lines and brighter white grounds, whereas faience offers a warmer, heavier provincial aesthetic.

How can I date an old French plate?

Examine the base for factory stamps, painted monograms, or impressed marks that correspond to known historical potteries and decorator periods. Stylistic clues such as Rococo curves, Art Deco geometries, or nineteenth-century armorial details also indicate the era of production. The weight of the ceramic body, glaze crazing, and the palette of the pigments provide additional physical evidence for dating.

Were these dishes used for food?

Many objects such as dinner plates, sauceboats, and salt cellars served functional dining roles in eighteenth and nineteenth-century households. Others, including cabinet plates, plaques, and decorative trays, were created primarily for visual display. Modern owners generally utilise surviving pieces for display or gentle domestic service rather than heavy daily dining.