Editing Pewter (section)

== History ==
Pewter was first used around the beginning of the [[Bronze Age]] in the [[Near East]]. The earliest known piece of pewter was found in an [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] tomb, {{c.|1450&nbsp;BC}},{{sfnp|Hull|1992|p=4}} but it is unlikely that this was the first use of the material. Pewter was used for decorative metal items and tableware in ancient times by the Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the [[Middle Ages]]<ref name=":0">[http://www.pewtersociety.org/pewter/what-is-pewter/ What is pewter?] – The Pewter Society</ref> until the various developments in pottery and glass-making during the 18th and 19th centuries. Pewter was a leading material for producing plates, cups, and bowls before the wide adoption of [[porcelain]]. Mass production of pottery, porcelain and glass products have almost universally replaced pewter in daily life, although pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter was also used around [[East Asia]]. Although some items still exist,{{sfnp|Brown|1973}} [[ancient Roman]] pewter is rare.<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Identify Pewter Marks |url=http://governmentauctionsuk.com/antique-auction-guides/pewter |url-status=dead |publisher=gauk Auctions |date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150414145614/http://governmentauctionsuk.com/antique-auction-guides/pewter |archive-date=14 April 2015 |via=archive.vn}}</ref>

Lidless mugs and lidded [[tankard]]s may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal was also used for many other items including [[porringer]]s (shallow bowls), plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots, sugar bowls, [[beer stein]]s (tankards), and cream jugs. In the early 19th century, changes in [[fashion]] caused a decline in the use of pewter flatware. At the same time, production increased of both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, and so on. Later in the century, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for [[electroplating|silver-plated]] objects.

In the late 19th century, pewter came back into fashion with the revival of medieval objects for decoration. New replicas of medieval pewter objects were created, and collected for decoration. Today, pewter is used in decorative objects, mainly collectible statuettes and figurines, game figures, aircraft and other models, (replica) coins, pendants, plated jewellery and so on. Certain athletic contests, such as the [[United States Figure Skating Championships]], award pewter medals to fourth-place finishers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/faq/rules.shtml#Q17|title=Competitive Figure Skating FAQ: Rules and Regulations|publisher=www.frogsonice.com|access-date=2012-10-18|archive-date=2022-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508042850/http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/faq/rules.shtml#Q17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Pewter Ring.jpg|Pewter ring
File:Pewterplate exb.jpg|Pewter plate
File:Pewter vase.jpg|Pewter vase
File:Pewter Cream Pitcher.jpg|alt=An ornate pewter cream pitcher|Pewter cream pitcher {{c.|1780}}
</gallery>