What are Porringers?

You’ve probably seen them in museums, your grandmother’s display cabinet, or perhaps in Colonial Williamsburg, but not known what they are called. Porringers are shallow, round bowls with flat, horizontal handles on one or both sides of the rim. While there is some dispute about their origins, it is well-known that they adorned medieval dining tables and have been made of wood, ceramic, pewter and silver. Fancy porringers often had the owners’ initials engraved on the handle, and there are some lovely early American examples, such as the Paul Revere silver porringer which sold via Sotheby's in 2010 for $46,875! The relationship between the words “porringer” and “porridge” makes it likely that children, and probably adults, have been using porringers to eat porridge—as well as gruel, broth, and so forth—for hundreds of years. Over time, modern bowls evolved and lost the handles that made porringers unique. However, porringers are still beautiful tableware, and make traditional, meaningful and practical birth and christening gifts. The handles of our baby porringers range in style from a traditional William and Mary to a modern bow, from a Williamsburg-era scalloped shell to a polished pewter rope. Rather than the time-honored, but limited, option of engraving initials on the handle, we give you much greater scope with the option of engraving the inside of the bowl with anything ranging from a monogram or initials up to 4 lines of text. We have sets that include a matching spoon or cup as well. A porringer truly is an elegant gift—one that you can be certain will be treasured for a lifetime, and passed down from one grandmother’s display cabinet to another. So contact us and let’s put together that perfect porringer christening gift!