Hammered Copper Plate Trio

Copper brings a warmth to a shelf that steel and brass cannot match, and small pieces of it go a long way. This set gives you three shallow dishes at nine centimetres across, each with a hammered face that catches light from different angles, so a group of them reads as texture rather than as three identical objects. They are decorative pieces first, sized to be arranged rather than stacked away in a cupboard.

Use them the way you would use any small tray: rings and earrings on a dressing table, keys and coins by the door, a single tea light in the centre of each on a dinner table. Leaned upright against a wall on a picture ledge they work as miniature wall pieces, and the hammering keeps the reflection soft instead of mirror-bright.

Copper darkens gradually with exposure to air. Left alone, the set will deepen into a richer, browner tone over a year or two; polished occasionally with a proprietary copper cleaner it stays bright and pink. Either look is correct, so it is worth deciding early which one you are after. Whichever you choose, these are ornamental pieces rather than tableware and are not intended to hold food or drink.

• Set of three hammered copper decorative plates
• Approximately 9 cm diameter each
• Hand-worked surface with soft directional reflection
• Use flat as trinket dishes or leaned on a ledge
• Patinas naturally; polish to keep a bright finish
• Decorative only - not intended for food use