Service Plates
The finest of Japan and of England, laid for two.
About Service Plates
A service plate, or charger, is the plate of highest standing at a formal dinner: set in place before guests arrive, it receives the plates that follow. The Manor holds Okura Art China's "Ruri Kinshoku Budo", 30cm, and Wedgwood's "Columbia Turquoise", 34cm. The finest of Japan and of England, laid side by side for two.
Set the 30cm and 34cm side by side, and the outline of the place appears
A service plate is the charger that marks each place at table and sets the standard for the spacing of the silver and porcelain around it. At the Manor you may see two: Okura Art China's Ruri Kinshoku Budo, 30cm, and Wedgwood's Columbia Turquoise, 34cm.
Placed apart, the two plates present more than a 4cm difference in size: lapis blue faces turquoise, a grape motif faces English porcelain. Having heard the figures, please confirm with your own eyes the actual rim and the space left on the table.
Your butler supports each plate in both hands and sets it quietly at the centre of the place. Only when the neighbouring silver, the opposite place and the edge of the table are all in order does the plate truly read as a charger. We do not serve meals. This is a collection to be touched, Japanese and English porcelain alike, and a chance to watch at close quarters how a large plate is handled.
Japan and England, compared by colour, pattern and size
| Maker | Pattern | Size | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okura Art China | Ruri Kinshoku Budo | 30cm | Japan's finest white porcelain, lapis blue, a grape motif in etched gold |
| Wedgwood | Columbia Turquoise | 34cm | English porcelain, turquoise, a wider rim than the 30cm plate |
Set the two plates apart and view lapis blue and turquoise face to face.
Beyond the diameter: face, rim and space, in turn
| First view | Look at one plate head-on and take in the colour and pattern from centre to rim. |
|---|---|
| Second view | Tilt the plate slightly and watch the light enter the rim and surface. |
| Comparing sizes | Set the 30cm and 34cm apart at the same height, never stacked. |
| From the seat | From the eye line of a seated guest, observe the spacing of plate and silver. |
| The opposite place | Take in the whole, with the two different colours facing one another. |
| When you pick one up | Support the plate in both hands where your butler indicates, and feel its weight and rim. |
What surrounds the charger changes the impression of the table
Compare with the 25.5cm plate
Set a Bernardaud Volubilis plate alongside and see how it differs in size from the 30cm and 34cm, and how its floral pattern reads.
Read more
On to the lineage of English porcelain
From Columbia Turquoise, let your eye travel to the other Wedgwood and the two English porcelains held at the Manor.
Read more
Twelve pieces of silver and their spacing
Christofle Marly is arranged around the plate so that you may see the direction of each handle and the space between neighbouring pieces.
Read moreColumbia Turquoise, 34cm: rim and space in five steps
Look at the 34cm rim
Columbia Turquoise is the 34cm Wedgwood service plate held in the Manor's collection.
Set the 30cm opposite
First view the turquoise and its rim on its own. Then set the 30cm plate opposite, and the eye line from the chair, the room for the silver and the contrast of the two colours all come to life.
Distinguish it from the other turquoise
Florentine Turquoise differs both in pattern name and in the pieces the Manor holds.
Decide the position first
Your butler keeps the plate level in both hands and sets it down without a sound. After letting go, the face and spacing are checked once more.
Compare before and after the silver
At 34cm, the plate gives a sense of breadth once set at the place. Watch how the space is brought into order by the handles of the silver and the outline of the plate, before and after the silver is laid.
Who will enjoy this
- Those seeing a service plate for the first time
- Those who wish to compare lapis blue and turquoise
- Those who wish to see a grape motif and English porcelain up close
- Those who wish to see the difference between 30cm and 34cm in the flesh
- Those who wish to watch a butler set a large plate
What we ask you to refrain from
- Opening the display cabinet without asking your butler
- Lifting the two plates while stacked
- Passing a plate with one hand only
- Rubbing the pattern or surface hard
- Taking pieces out of the Manor
QWhat is a service plate?
It is the charger that marks each place at table and sets the standard for the spacing of everything around it. At the Manor we introduce Okura Art China's Ruri Kinshoku Budo, 30cm, and Wedgwood's Columbia Turquoise, 34cm, together with the butler's handling of them.
QMay I see both at once?
Yes. Set apart rather than stacked, they show lapis blue against turquoise, a grape motif against English porcelain, and the 4cm difference in size. Your butler moves each plate in turn, arranging the face and the space to either side of the opposite place.
QMay I actually hold them?
You may, under your butler's guidance. As they are large plates, we first show you where to support them with both hands. The 30cm and 34cm are handed to you one at a time so that you may safely feel the difference in weight and rim.
QWill you show me on my own?
Certainly. There is time to look quietly at the pattern of one plate, and time to set both at their places and compare. Your butler also compares the standing and seated eye lines, showing how the charger shapes the outline of the place.
QHow many guests can compare the two chargers?
Up to six. So that everyone sees the rims of the 30cm and 34cm from the same angle, your butler arranges where to stand and the order in which the plates are handled.
QCan a female butler show me the chargers?
Queen's Butler has both male and female butlers in residence. Alongside the comparison of lapis blue and turquoise, please let us know your preference when booking.
You may also wish to read
Take your seat before the two plates.
Under your butler's guidance, the porcelain may be held in your own hands.