tableware

these kind of dessert plates, which i found in a little antique shop in bordeaux, were completly new to me. on the top they show a rebus, the solution is on the other side of the plate. these are by the company digoin & sarreguemines and are called assiette parlent (talking plates), assiette rebus or sometimes assiette hitsoriee and are from the 1850s.

"Bonne renommee vaut mieux que ceinture doree."

"Le capitaine Renard a fait un grand pas dans la science de diriger les ballons."

another plate is decorated with an image hidden within an image. in this case the question is: "ou est le cheval?" ("where is the horse"). i could not find it yet, but i found all the hidden images on the other plates so i am sure it is there. this plate has a stamp saying "porcelain opaque de gien" and is from around 1875.

i love the idea, that once the dinner conversation gets boring, you can just stare at your plate or the plate accross the table and solve some riddles.