Encyclopedia > Pewter

  Article Content

Pewter

Pewter is an alloy, traditionally of anywhere between three and nine parts tin, and one part lead. Modern pewter mixes the tin with copper, antimony and/or bismuth, as opposed to lead. The metal is blue-grey in colour and generally has a dull finish.

A pewter is also the colloquial name for any pewter-made container, especially a pewter tankard. Tankards are certainly the most common pewter artifacts, although the metal is also used for plates, cutlery[?] and jewellery.

Use of pewter was common from the Middle Ages up until the various developments in glass-making during the 18th and 19th centuries. Mass-production of glass products has seen glass universally replacing pewter in day-to-day life.

Pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialist items.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Flapper

... to the hips. Rayon stockings were worn over garter belts[?]. Skirts rose to just below the knee by 1927, allowing flashes of knee to be seen when a flapper danced or walked ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 30.4 ms