centrepiece
{{short description|Decorative object on a table}}
{{other uses}}
File:Augsburger Tafelservice der Fürstbischöfe von Hildesheim BNM 02.jpg silver centrepiece of the Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim, 1763]]
File:Hôtel de Charost JP2010, Dorure salle à manger.jpg tray centrepiece at the Hôtel de Charost, home of the ambassador of Great Britain, Paris]]
File:Musée de la faïence, Fauchier.jpg, c. 1760, Musée de la Faïence de Marseille]]
A centrepiece or centerpiece is an important item of a display, usually of a table setting.{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/centrepiece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706075242/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/centrepiece|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 6, 2012|title=centrepiece|author=Oxford University Press: OxfordDictionaries.com|accessdate=2015-02-02}} Centrepieces help set the theme of the decorations and bring extra decorations to the room. A centrepiece also refers to any central or important object in a collection of items."centrepiece" Macquarie Dictionary (Revised Third Edition), Macquarie Library Pty Ltd (2001), Sydney.
Traditional types for the very formal dining table include the epergne, with branching arms ending in bowls, and the surtout de table, in English reserved for a long tray, often with mirrors as the surface, on which candles, sculptures and other objects are placed.
Purpose
On the table, a centrepiece is a central object which serves a decorative purpose. However, centrepieces are often not too large, to avoid difficulty with visibility around the table and to allow for the easier serving of dishes.
Other centrepieces are often made from flowers, candles, fruit, or candy.{{cite web|url=http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/weddings/10-centerpieces-you-can-make.htm|title=10 Centerpieces You Can Make Yourself|last=Elliot|first=Sara|date=18 May 2010 |publisher=TLC|accessdate=19 April 2012}}
Centrepieces are a major part of the decoration for a wedding reception, being used widely at wedding receptions with flowers being the most popular form of centrepieces. Weddings, baby showers, engagement parties, anniversary parties and birthdays often have some form of centrepiece.
Formal functions in Europe can sometimes have very elaborate centrepieces, which can span the entire length of the table.
At holiday times, including Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, homes are often decorated with holiday centrepieces.
File:Epergne, Thomas Pitts I, London, 1761 - Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - DSC08880 (cropped).JPG|Silver epergne, London, 1761
File:Museum Lüneburg Tafelaufsatz@20150722 01.JPG|Silver, 1843, for the Crown Prince of Hanover
File:Surtout de table en forme de rocher.jpg|French faience, 1860
File:France Surtout de table.jpg|French ormolu, later 19th century
References
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{{commonscat|Centrepieces (tableware)}}
{{Wiktionary|centrepiece}}