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How to Display Old Silver Trays

Old silver trays come in various shapes and sizes, with ornamental details that changed according to the decorative styles of the day, but they all originally had specific uses. Large trays, known as salvers, were used for transporting tea sets and for protecting furniture from food and liquids. In well-to-do households, smaller trays, called waiters, were carried about by the staff as a means of delivering smaller items to their employers. While one way of showing off your collection of antique silver trays is to display them within a china cabinet, grouping them together can have an overpowering effect in the modern home. A more creative option is to give old silver trays a useful function that fits in with modern living.

Instructions

- 1
  Place a large silver salver on top of a sideboard and use it as a bar area. A selection of bottles and glasses will make an attractive display when reflected in the tray's polished surface.
- 2
  Use a smaller salver as a centerpiece on your dining table and employ it to show off crystal bowls of fruit or desserts. The glint of the crystal and the colors of the fruit will be enhanced by the reflective surface of the silver, especially if combined with candlelight.
- 3
  Use silver waiters on your tables instead of coasters, especially when entertaining. Counterbalance the richness of a glass of wine, a cup of cot chocolate or a slice of cake with the clean look of silver.
- 4
  Group your silver trays on a dresser or set of shelves for a more conventional display. A row of small waiters can be arranged much like a line of plates, or even mixed with pieces of decorative china. A large salver can be set on top of the dresser, or laid flat beneath the shelves. Mixing in other pieces of silver such as salt and pepper sets can also help to bring the display to life.
- 5
  Consider brightening a dark room by hanging a salver on the wall or standing it on a mantelpiece instead of a mirror. This is especially appropriate for any presentation or commemorative salvers you might have inherited or won. Enhance the effect in the evenings with candles or soft lamps placed beside the trays.

Antiques