How do I hang a heavy charger safely?

Large earthenware platters require dedicated wall-mounting hardware that supports the entire rim without placing stress on the centre. Spring-loaded brass wire hangers distributed evenly around the circumference provide a secure hold for display. Ensure the wall fixing anchors directly into solid masonry or a timber stud. Heavy tin-glazed pieces should sit at a slight backward angle against the wall for maximum stability.

Were these large plates used for dining?

Historical chargers served primarily as ceremonial display pieces on sideboards or dining tables rather than daily tableware. Their generous diameter made them ideal for presenting meats or fruit at formal banquets. Over time, many transitioned to purely decorative wall hangings because of their fragile tin-glazed surfaces and artistic value. Surviving examples often display suspension holes drilled into the foot rings during earlier centuries.

How do I tell seventeenth-century delft from later copies?

Early seventeenth-century delft bodies feel heavier and show irregular glaze pooling near the unglazed foot rim. The cobalt pigment often sinks deeply into the tin-glaze, creating soft borders around the painted motifs. Later nineteenth-century revivals exhibit different clay densities and mechanical transfer marks beneath the glaze. Comparing foot rings and pigment behaviour reveals the manufacturing period.