Marie Antoinette is famous for her statement, “Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.” In English that is generally translated as “Let them eat cake,” but that is not really an accurate translation. What it really translates to is “Let them eat brioche.” Brioche is a bread enriched by eggs and butter, so it could be said that the French Revolution was actually precipitated by a bread.
Bread has a history as a human food going back to ancient times. It has long been a staple of the human diet. Egyptians buried their dead with bread to nourish them on their trip to the afterlife. The Jewish holiday Passover is traditionally observed with matzo, a type of cracker substituted for bread because it didn’t require the leavening time of baking bread. Charred boules of bread have survived from ancient Pompey. During the Middle Ages no meal was complete without a trencher on the table. Wikipedia defines a trencher as a Medieval round of stale bread on which food could be served at the table. At the conclusion of the meal the trencher would be eaten with the sauce.
Victorians didn’t use trenchers of stale bread, but they did have a contemporary equivalent. The role the trencher played at the table—the wooden bread board or ceramic tray—was a main stay of every family meal. These often maintained the same round shape as their Medieval predecessor. Most every pottery included bread trays in their inventory. Naturally majolica with its deeply modeled and colored surface proved to be an excellent vehicle for displaying bread. Many of these are easily easily recognized by their shape or iconography, though any tray could actually serve for the purpose. Most of these have a raised rim to the hold the bread.
Let’s take a look at majolica bread trays.
Minton majolica Christmas bread plate
Minton majolica evergreen bread plate
Minton majolica bread plate
Minton Waste Not, Want Not, Spare Not
majolica bread plate
Minton majolica bread plate
George Jones majolica bread tray
George Jones majolica bread tray
George Jones majolica Christmas charger
George Jones majolica bread tray
Brownfield majolica bread tray
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple bread plate
Adams & Bromley majolica bread plate
Adams & Bromley majolica bread plate
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple bread plate
Etruscan Majolica bread plate
Eureka majolica bread tray
Wardle majolica bread platter
Wardle/Lear majolica Lily bread plate
Unattributed majolica bread plate
Forester majolica wild rose bread platter
Forester majolica wild rose bread plate
Unattributed majolica bread plate featuring Demeter medallion
Fielding majolica Ribbon bread plate
Wedgwood majolica bread. tray
Wedgwood majolica Mat plate
English Registration drawing for the bread plate below
Wedgwood majolica bread plate
Wedgwood majolica Palm bread tray
C12. Etruscan Majolica Oak bread tray Many bread plates have mottos incorporated into their design.
Minton majolica Waste Not Want Not Spare Not motto bread tray
Minton Pugin majolica Waste Not Want Not motto bread tray
Adams & Bromley majolica motto bread plate
Adams & Bromley majolica motto bread plate
Adams & Bromley motto bread plate
Adams & Co. majolica motto bread plate
Brownfield majolica motto bread tray
Bendigo Pottery majolica Give Us This Day Our Daily
Bread motto bread plate
Majolica Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread plate
Wardle majolica Chrysanthemum Eat To Live Not Live To Eat tray
Unattributed majolica motto bread plate
Majolica Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread tray
Unattributed majolica motto bread plate
BWM Waste Not Want Not motto bread platter
Waste Not Want Not motto bread platter
Unattributed majolica motto bread plate
Holdcroft Eat Thy Bread With Thankflness majolica motto plate
And of course there are also corn bread plates specifically aimed at the American market.
Tenuous Majolica corn bread platter
Tenuous Majolica corn bread platter
Adams & Bromley majolica corn bread plate
Wedgwood majolica corn bread platter
The simple beauty of the bread plate allows collectors a wide variety of options for inclusion in their majolica displays.
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