Visit the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, and you'll probably remember oil tycoon Henry Flagler's private railcar. But when celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert visited the mansion 10 years ago, a set of 3-D dinner plates blew her away. Captivated by the ethereal, cloudy-white cameo design, she asked the curator who made them (Minton), when (circa 1900), and how they were made (pâte-sur-pâte).

Today, she owns a dozen pâte-sur-pâte (paste-on-paste) plates and enough other glittering porcelain plates and glassware for a Gatsbyesque soiree. "I'm all about the Gilded Age: hand-painted porcelain, silverware, and raised-gold glassware," says Kimara, who picks the dishes before deciding what to serve dinner guests. 

Kimara names Elise Abrams Antiques one of her "favorite shops" for vintage tableware (see left for full article).