This is a dish cross, hallmarked Chester 1779/80 and made by Joseph Walley of Liverpool. More usually dish crosses have four arms rather than three. They were used to keep serving dishes warm. The bracket on each arm can be slid along to accomodate different size dishes and the centrepiece is placed over a small spirit lamp.
I have never seen a dish cross; that lamp must really be very small to fit underneath the centre piece. Here, rechauds are more common; my mum has several quite pretty ones and there is always one on her coffee table in the evening to keep her tea pot warm.
ReplyDeleteA little more decorative and tasteful than my stainless and black steel contraption.
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