What is a chinoiserie wall platter?

A chinoiserie wall platter is a large decorative plate or charger adorned with European interpretations of Chinese motifs. These pieces were designed to hang on walls or stand on sideboards in grand rooms. Pots of this type include tin-glazed delftware, Chinese export porcelain, and nineteenth-century ironstone chargers featuring landscapes, exotic birds, and pavilions.

How do I hang a heavy charger?

Hanging a large ceramic charger requires a robust, adjustable wire wall hanger that grips the rim securely without placing undue stress on the body. Ensure the fixture is anchored directly into a wall stud or uses a proper masonry plug. Due to the weight of seventeenth and eighteenth-century earthenware and ironstone chargers, verify the load-bearing capacity of both the wall fixing and the hanger before display.

Were these platters used for food?

Many large chargers and platters served a dual purpose, functioning as dining table centerpieces for meat or fruit before being displayed on walls. Some nineteenth-century examples specifically functioned as large meat plates. Tin-glazed earthenware chargers from earlier centuries were more commonly decorative items due to the softer nature of the glaze and body.