Topic: Unusual Molineaux Webb piece with circular handle

[neilh]

My item is 5 inches across.

Having had a closer look at the Percival Vickers catalogs, they describe this sort of item as a "handled butter", made in sizes of 5 or 6 inches.

One illustrated below

[flying free]

that's interesting   no idea it would have been used for butter.  Presumably a slice of a round pat then?
It feels a bit strange to use as a butter.

m

[Paul S.]

I'd probably agree  - but then our idea of the use of some table ware items has changed vastly since the 1870s.          As you say, just for a single sitting and then washed presumably ready for the next 'tea time'  ................    similar to the use of unlidded jam/preserve dishes, where sufficient for simply one meal was put out.              It's always possible that some named descriptions may have been more local than we might think  -  but as already mentioned, S.&F. use only the words 'jellies/sweetmeats'.   
Probably completely unrelated, but you could be forgiven for thinking this round handled shallow dish shape had its origins in chamber sticks, which at a quick look appear similar.

[agincourt17]

I think that, rather than a round pat of butter, a decent number of butter 'curls' (probably served in iced water in warm weather to stop them becoming rancid) placed on a smart dinner table in one of these could have looked quite attractive.

Fred.