pewter, any of a number of ductile, silver-white alloys
consisting principally of tin. The properties vary with the
percentage of tin and the nature of the added materials. Lead,
when added, imparts a bluish tinge and increased malleability
and tends to escape from the alloy in poisonous quantities if
the percentage used is too large; antimony adds whiteness and
hardness. Other metals including copper, bismuth, and zinc can
also be added. Pewter is shaped by casting, hammering, or lathe
spinning on a mold and is usually simply ornamented with rims,
moldings, or engraving, although some Continental display ware,
especially of the Renaissance period in France and Germany,
shows intricate ornamentation. Pewter was early used in East
Asia, and Roman pieces are extant. England was a pewter center
from the Middle Ages; pewter was the chief tableware until it
was superseded by china. America imported much English pewter in
colonial times and from c.1700 made large quantities. The craft
had virtually disappeared by 1