Metals include both decorative and useful objects that may be cast, cut, or shaped. Traditionally silver and pewter items are decoative often in addition to a useful function such as tableware. The former usally appears in wealthy households, the latter in the working class and wannabes. Iron—usually the work of a blacksmith— is a working metal, valued for its strength, although handwork can render it beautiful. Although what is usually called $quot;tin$quot; is actually iron thinly plated with tin, it shares iron’s purposeful quality, for example as inexpensive lanterns. Copper and brass (which is an alloy of copper and zinc) fall in the middle between silver and iron: they can be simply beautiful but also make useful objects such as lamps.
