Tray to scrap or not?

I don’t know whether this item has any value other than scrap. I don’t sell online just at auction occasionally and don’t know the age of this tray, are they desirable? Someone has had a go with acid testing on the back, I don’t know why. It’s approx 12 x 8 inches. Thanks for any opinions, I just don’t want to be unnecessarily scrap happy.

 

Isn't this typical 1930's-1940's Benares ware? Could be more recent too I guess.

 

I didn’t know about the Benares term, thanks, because of the acid damage and I realise now it has rusty spots I think I’ll scrap it.

 

Thanks, I seem to be going through a finding brass phase. I can pick it up for little cost from the jumbles though the Cshops seem to put high prices on it so I don’t buy there.

 

As blooey said, this used to be called Benares ware. But although it is from the Indian subcontinent, it is not from Benares/Varanasi. True Benares ware is almost all religious, statues of Gods and ritual implements. It is generally more coppery.
It is Indo-Persian, as far as I know this ware was mostly made in Kashmir, but what did the Brits know.
Pity about the acid madness, but it has age and value, please don't scrap.

 

My Dad brought this stuff home from Benares AFAIK

 

Could be, you can buy anything in Benares/Varanasi, because it is such a cosmopolitan place. That doesn't mean it was made there.
My dad bought silk sarees in Madras/Chennai (south India) for my mother and I, a northern one for my mother, a southern one for me. He also bought a Kashmiri puja tray in Bombay.

 

Dad also bought 2,500+ sapphires from Dean Ismail Sons of Colombo - he traded them for sacks of salt bought in Lorenço Marques, Mozambique during a salt shortage. I still have the receipts. No, the sapphires are gone - I sold them in the 1960's.

 

Those must have brought in a prrretty nice sum.

 

Ok, AJ, I’ll put it on the when I get round to selling pile (getting massive now) I can see someone has taken a lot of effort to make it regarding the decoration and I wanted to ask because I felt uncomfortable not checking first and I do find these items hard to date too. Thanks.