The servant spooned out large portions onto each of their odd hand-painted plates, and they began to eat.

Tuscan Square also offers the opportunity to buy hand-painted plates and pure silk aprons until your table is ready.

Of course, having all that silk and those wall hangings, I realized that I could stuff some wonderful hand-painted plates ($3.50) between the layers with no fear of breakage.

One set of hand-painted plates produced a black solution immediately; the vinegar alone took some of the pigment from the painted flowers.

The event, "Artists Against Abuse," features an auction of hand-painted ceramic plates by more than 50 artists, designers and other celebrities.

Tuscan Square has a different tack: this new restaurant in Rockefeller Center offers the opportunity to buy hand-painted plates and pure silk aprons until your table is ready.

In the rear dining room, walls are punctuated with plates hand-painted by the chef.

Nearby I was offered a hand-painted plate for £20 and ended up with a pair for that price.

Next up is Clementina, where hand-painted plates printed with monochrome iconography sit alongside ethnic bowls and Miro-esque dinner services.

Willow glanced over her shoulder, then decided it was best just to keep going when she saw Anya pick up the hand-painted plate and smash it to bits against the floor.