This is a lovely Art Nouveau style charger by Johann Seltmann (JSV Germany) out of the Bavarian region of Germany in 1930‘s.
Charger plates have been in use since the 19th century. They are sometimes referred to as service plates and under plates. They have both practical and decorative uses. They are used as a base setting to serve dining courses onto and they enhance the dining experience. Due to their use, these plates are usually attractively decorated, adding to the aesthetics of the dining table. They are placed when setting other items of dinnerware such as silver cutlery and glasses on the table. Charger plates are kept on throughout the meal to only be removed before desert is served. Due to the fact they need to hold all dining courses, the size of a charger is usually slightly larger than that of a dinner plate.
The name comes from 13th century middle English and Scottish texts ‘chargeour, meaning large plate. It also comes from the Latin verb ‘carricane which means to load. Back in earlier centuries, original chageours were big enough to serve large roasts at royal feasts. Individual dining took hold over time and a charger changed as a base to hold other dining ware. They are typically used for events and occasions such as weddings, banquets and fine dining.
