Butter Chips: Individual Butter Pats and Plates
Butter chips, also called butter pats, are small individual plates measuring roughly 2.5 to 3.5 inches in diameter, designed to hold a single serving of butter at each place setting. Produced in enormous quantities from the 1880s through the 1940s by virtually every major American, English, and European china manufacturer, butter chips were a standard element of formal dining. Their small size, decorative variety, and affordability make them one of the most accessible collecting categories in ceramics.
History and Context
- 1880s-1940s: Peak production period; butter chips were standard in formal table settings
- Victorian era: Elaborate multi-course dining required individual butter portions at each place
- Hotel and restaurant ware: Commercial china producers made butter chips for institutional use
- Post-WWII: Informal dining styles make butter chips obsolete; production drops sharply
- Collecting era: Interest begins in the 1970s as collectors recognize the enormous variety available
Types and Manufacturers
- Fine china: Haviland, Limoges, Royal Worcester, Meissen, and other European porcelain makers
- American pottery: Homer Laughlin, Hall, Buffalo, and other domestic manufacturers
- Flow blue: Transfer-decorated butter pats in the popular flow blue style
- Ironstone: White and decorated ironstone examples from English and American potteries
- Hotel and railroad china: Branded pieces from hotels, railroads, and steamship lines
- Art pottery: Occasional examples from Rookwood, Roseville, and other art potteries
- Majolica: Leaf-shaped and figural butter pats in colorful majolica glazes
Identification Tips
- Backstamps: Most butter chips carry manufacturer marks that enable precise identification
- Pattern matching: Many patterns can be identified through china pattern reference books and databases
- Railroad and hotel markings: Topmarks (logos on the face) and backstamps identify institutional origin
- Size: True butter chips are under 4 inches; larger plates are bread plates, not butter pats
Auction Prices and Market Values
| Category | Typical Range | Exceptional Pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Common china patterns | $3-$15 | $30+ for rare patterns |
| Flow blue butter pats | $15-$50 | $100+ for rare patterns |
| Railroad china | $20-$75 | $200+ for scarce lines |
| Hotel/steamship china | $10-$40 | $100+ for notable venues |
| Majolica butter pats | $20-$60 | $150+ for rare forms |
| Art pottery (Rookwood, etc.) | $30-$100 | $250+ |
| Meissen/fine European | $25-$75 | $200+ for early pieces |
Condition Factors
- Chips: Even small rim chips significantly reduce value on these tiny pieces
- Crazing: Light crazing is common and generally accepted; stained crazing is not
- Pattern clarity: Clear, unfaded decoration is essential
- Staining: Butter and food staining can sometimes be removed but often diminishes value
- Backstamp legibility: Clear, readable marks increase desirability and confidence in attribution
Collecting Tips
- Railroad and steamship china butter pats are the strongest subcategory, with dedicated collector organizations
- The small size makes butter chips ideal for display in shadow boxes, printer's trays, or wall-mounted racks
- Complete sets matching a dinner service are difficult to assemble but rewarding
- Estate sales and box lots at general auctions are productive and inexpensive sources
- With thousands of patterns produced, specializing by manufacturer, pattern type, or theme helps focus a collection