When a friend emailed me for ideas on displaying a rather large collection of vintage plates she inherited from a relative, she had only one rule: "I don't want to stand them up in an old granny hutch." Fine. Try hanging them! Hanging plates is a traditional way of displaying decorative dinnerware or serveware and has been seen in many cultures, from European to Asian. Centuries ago, elaborate displays of plates in a home was a sign of wealth and high social status. Hanging plates these…