Topic: Victorian spoon rests?

[neilh]

Hi folks,

I am seeking an opinion as to what these items are from the Molineaux Webb pressed glass catalogue - to the right and left of the plate. This particular page from the catalogue shows a number of early pressed glass plates circa 1840, and the odd 2 out are these shell-like things.

I have long puzzled over what they were - just a slightly different type of plate, or another object entirely.

This week I've been reading "American Glass Cup Plates" by Ruth Webb Lee & James H. Rose. A passage caught my attention. They were describing how the early cup plates were used as coasters. You would drink your tea by pouring in to a saucer and the cup, which often had no handles, would be placed on the cup plate coaster.

Lee & Rose commented that it was unknown where the spoon would have to be placed. There often wasn't room for it on the plate and you wouldn't soil the tablecloth with it.

So that got me thinking - could these 2 odd plates actually be spoon rests, to place your wet spoons?

Does this sound plausable or am I barking up the wrong tree? Has anyone ever seen a piece of glass of this type?