Making sense of tiny antique dishes, and comparing bamboo towels with others

Q: The antique china set I inherited includes dishes that are 2-inch miniatures of the dinner plates. Do you know what these could be?

A: They sound like butter pats. These diminutive dishes were common in the Victorian era, when just about every conceivable food category had its own serving piece (table settings even included "bone plates" when fish was on the menu).

Butter pats aren't manufactured much these days, so they are considered collectibles. You often find them at flea markets and antiques stores in many interesting shapes, including circular, square and fan-shaped, as well as in countless varieties of patterns.

Q: How are bamboo towels different from regular ones?

A: Bamboo is cropping up all over the home these days, in fabric, flooring, wall coverings and more. It's little wonder why. The natural material, which is a member of the grass family, is a renewable resource (it can grow up to 1 foot a day) that can be cultivated without the use of chemical pesticides. Bamboo towels are made from plant pulp that is extracted, mashed and spun into a yarn that's silky and absorbent.

In fact, bamboo towels can soak up three times more moisture than their terry-cloth cotton equivalents. They also tend to be thin and easy to store. In terms of hygiene, bamboo towels have natural antibacterial properties, plus they don't trap germs or odors. And they dry quickly, making them an excellent choice in humid climates. Most brands can be tossed into a washing machine and a dryer, where their fibers will become softer and more absorbent.

On the downside, bamboo towels are more expensive than cotton ones and are not readily found in stores. You may want to consider bamboo-cotton blends, which are easier to find and offer many of the same benefits of pure bamboo ones. Care instructions are likely to vary from one brand to the next, so read the labels carefully before washing.

Send questions to mslletters@marthastewart.com. Sorry, no personal replies.