A completely flat serving plate, only practical for dry foods, may be called a trencher, especially if in wood.
Porcelain and bone china were once luxurious materials but today can be afforded by most of the world's population.
It was an inexpensive hobby, and the variety of shapes and designs catered to a wide spectrum of collectors.
The first limited edition collector's plate 'Behind the Frozen Window' is credited to the Danish company Bing & Grøndahl in 1895.
Christmas plates became very popular with many European companies producing them most notably Royal Copenhagen in 1910, and a Rosenthal series which began in 1910.