FOOTMAN  , a name given among articles of

furniture to a metal stand, usually of polished steel or brass, and either oblong or oval in shape, for keeping plates and dishes hot before a dining-room fire . In the days before the general use of hot-water dishes the footman possessed definite utility, but although it is still in occasional use, it is now chiefly regarded as an ornament . It was especially common in the hardware counties of England, where it is still frequently seen; the simple conventionality of its form is not inelegant .