A plate rack is a frame of upright bars or slats in which plates and dishes are stood on edge, either to drain after washing or to be stored and displayed. Racks were made to hang on the wall, stand on a worktop or sit above a sink, and in larger form could hold an entire dinner service.
Plate racks were a standard fitting of the country-house scullery and the farmhouse kitchen from the eighteenth century onwards. Most were made of pine, oak or elm, with turned or square-section dowels, and they were often scrubbed rather than polished, developing a soft, bleached surface over years of use. Some larger examples were built into the joinery of a kitchen above a stone sink or as part of a dresser. Antique racks are valued for their original construction, honest wear and the absence of later reinforcement or replacement dowels. Painted examples with original or early paint are particularly sought after. Today plate racks are once again a feature of kitchens designed in a traditional or country style, used both for drying and for displaying blue and white china, creamware or decorative plates.
