Pewter Plate and Charger PlateChargers are basically plate holders. They were used since the 19th century, and became popular toward the end of the last millennium. You might have seen pewter charger plates being used in some restaurants or at dinner parties and weddings. They are for decorative purposes only. Plates used to serve food are put on top of the chargers, so the latter are also referred to as underplates. You'll find that plates meant for use generally do not have any artwork in the middle. Any artwork is usually confined close to the outside. In contrast, decorative plates have elaborate designs and artwork in the middle. They are usually put on special holders for display. Here's one in my collection:   The one on the left has hibiscus motifs, while the other one shows the wau (pronounced as 'wow'), a kind of kite made and flown by the Malays in South East Asia. Both the hibiscus and wau are national symbols of Malaysia. The wau plate is a personalised item. The first owner got it from someone called Clifford. It's not very clear in the picture but there is a 'Love, Clifford' engraved below the wau
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