English pewter century. Lead was removed from the composition in 1974, by BS5140, reinforced by the European directive BSEN611 in 1994. Until the end of the 18th century, the only method of manufacture was by casting and the soldering of components. From the last quarter of the 18th century, improvement in alloys (e.g. britannia metal) and techniques allowed objects to be made from pewter by stamping and spinning. English pewter While the term pewter covers a range of tin-based alloys, the term English pewter has come to represent a strictly-controlled alloy, specified by BSEN611-1 and British Standard 5140, consisting mainly of tin
Tableware the higher was the quality of tableware that was owned and the more numerous its pieces. In the London of the 13th century, the more affluent citizens owned fine furniture and silver, "while those of straiter means possessed only the simplest pottery and kitchen utensils." By the later 16th century, "even the poorer citizens dined off pewter rather than wood" and had plate, jars and pots made from "green glazed earthenware". The nobility often used their arms on heraldic china. Tableware is generally the functional part of the settings on dining tables but great attention has been paid to the