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Plateaux

Appears in
The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets
The Christmas Cook

By William Woys Weaver

Published 1990

  • About
Plateaux, or mirrors with decorative borders raised on small feet, were popular additions to the festive table in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were quite expensive and easily broken. George Washington had one—a very large one—that he used for special occasions. His letters are full of fretful admonishments to his housekeepers over broken borders and little feet knocked in moving the plateau from house to house when he was President.

Despite their fragile nature, plateaux were considered worth the trouble because they reflected the light from nearby candelabras and overhead chandeliers, and thus gave the table a rare sparkle and elegance. Victorian plateaux were often small to accommodate small dining tables and middle-class incomes. The plateau from 1875 shown in the chromolithograph is barely 24 inches from handle to handle. A large silver serving tray will make a perfectly suitable substitute, but polish it well.

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