Metalware is the general term for household and decorative objects made from metal, especially the base metals brass, copper, bronze, pewter, iron, steel and tin rather than precious silver and gold. It covers a vast range of antiques, from candlesticks, chargers and jugs to kitchen pans, fireside tools, door furniture and church plate.
Before the age of mass-produced ceramics and plastics, metal was essential to daily life, and the antique market preserves an enormous variety of pieces made by blacksmiths, braziers, pewterers, tinsmiths and founders. Medieval and seventeenth-century bronze and brass candlesticks, Georgian copper and brass kitchenware, pewter plates and tankards, and Victorian cast-iron fire grates are all familiar forms. Many pieces are unmarked, so dating relies on construction, form, alloy and signs of genuine age such as wear in the right places, old repairs and hand finishing. Collectors increasingly prefer metalware with an undisturbed patina, as aggressive polishing removes detail and evidence of age. Reproductions are common, particularly of brass and copper, and lightweight casting or uniform machine finishing can betray them. Displayed in groups on dressers, hearths and window sills, antique metalware adds warmth and texture to country and traditional interiors.
