There are many theories about cup plates, but they really were made as such. They were designed to protect the tea table or tea cloth when the drinker poured the tea into the saucer and placed the cup on the plate. Of course, the tea drinker drank from the saucer, not the cup! These plates were made especially for the Brewster Store by a Cape Cod firm, Pairpoint Glassworks, which dates back to 1837.