Years ago, I bought a small set of pottery dishes in Mexico which had a curious design. They were rimmed. The plate was divided in half by a ridge down the middle. One of the halves was further divided in half, such that it created three compartments: one half the plate size and two each a quarter of the plate size.

The dishes were hand painted in many bright colours (on reddish clay), which was their demise. It turned out that those darned things were decorated with lead-based paints and were useful for decoration (and slowly poisoning your enemies) but not for serving Mexican food to friends.

One supposes that glazing technology has improved since the seventies and that similar plates are available which are not toxic. One would like to find such plates by doing an Internet but the problem with Internet shopping for odd items is that one must know/guess the precise name under which the vendor lists the item sought. Which I don't, when it comes to these plates.

What, pray tell, is the name of a plate divided into one half compartment and two quarter compartments, in the Mexican fashion?

I wonder if that was really in a Mexican fashion, or a knock off of the "American" aimed at the tourist market. But, couldn't you search for something like "dinnner plate divided mexican"?

Fr Steve:

They have a very technical term, according to Lisa at Kitchen and Company in Asheville:

Divided Plates

http://vip.hpnc.com/~palmwood/dvdplates.htm is one example.

> Divided Plates

Lisa also mentions "compartment plates". a quick google and you'll find plenty.

BTW, were they from the State of Guanajuato?

The Google search which Inselpeter suggests returns 59,100 websites, which is a few more than I had in mind, but is a good start. Thanks to all who suggested directions.

Father Steve, you'll find these in most kitchen / home houseware sections of department stores. They're known as fondue plates here.

Except in the area of Wisconsin around Fondue Lack.

Arrghhhh...a bilingual pun. Have you no shame TEd.

Well, no, not really.

It would be a pun if the meaning "bottom of the lake" somehow figured in to it and it would be bilingual if TEd hadn't cobbed the words "fondue lack" from a city in Wisconsin, USA.

bel sez: They're known as fondue plates here

I've seen fondue plates. They are usually white. The Mexican ones are much cooler, with little primitive paintings of cactus and burros and sombreros and shooting stars and cool things like that ... on terra cotta.

>>>They are usually white.

Really. How dull. Folks seem to love having fondues here so there are many different types of plates. There are those fine white china ones, thick terra-cotta brightly coloured ones, ones with even sections for chocolate fondues, plates with one big side and a slew of small side sections for meat fondues or cheese fondues.

I've never seen any with sombreros and cacti and things though.

Then, there's always a pottery class at the local Rec Center.

Hey--wouldn't it be a hoot to go to pottery class and create one of these 12-handled cups? Then when your classmates asked what on earth you were making, you could just say nonchalantly, "A tyg, of course".

wouldn't it be a hoot to go to pottery class and create one of these 12-handled cups?

Reading my mind again, Jackie?