Featured Carved wooden tray

Grabbed this at the boot this morning. I think it may be mahogany any likely south asian. There is a split in the base and the corners are a bit rickety. I'm not sure if the six inch nails are original fixtures or if they have been added as a later repair to sure it up. It's a whopping 53cm long and just about fitted in my bag of life. If not it would have been a three mile walk home.

One thing is for sure. A lot of effort went into making it.

 

Gorgeous !!

 

Beautiful.

Absolutely. I think it is from Nagina in Northern India, but @808 raver may have to correct me.

 

https://markjonesantiques.co.uk/product/nagina-tray/

 

Thanks guys. I wasn't expecting the value to be too much as the vendor told me that they have scrap yard and antique shop but you never know. People like a purge now and then. Busy day at the car boot today. Combination of it being rained off last week, and beautiful weather today.

 

Agree, India. Likely sheesham wood. Yours has more detail than most. Nice trays that I believe are terribly undervalued.

 

Great find Chinois,perfect tag AJ (808 raver)
@Chinoiserie so if you couldn't have fit the tray into yr 'Bag Of Life'-you wouldn't have been allowed on the tube,train or bus ?

 

There isn't a bus service up there and I had my bike so it would have been a long walk. I bought a bang and Olufsen stereo there for £40 once and had to walk home with it. Got home and found out there was no stylus. Looked on eBay and styluses were ~£200. Managed to sell it after a year of it being on my lounge floor for.... £40 as a spares and repairs project. Well worth it.

 

Thanks Brad.

 

Bang and Olufsen- gorgeous stuff. All the thrifts and antique malls I hit remove the styluses before they put the items out.
The only sale I hit last time we were in London was in Notting Hill. I didn't go to buy anything-just to people watch. It was a Saturday I got my fill !

 

Lovely piece!

 

Sorry it's taken me a while to check in lol
Ok I do believe it's old ie at least 100+ years and the work is skilled and profuse I wouldn't say Nagina. It has a lot of Nagina about it but the size of flowers and leaves are just too big ie the detail is 10x the size of Nagina. Where it was carved I don't know and the nails are a later repair. I think it's Teak and I suspect it's very much like this one although this seller is being very hopeful when asking what they are asking https://www.londonfine.co.uk/produc...cxOH3vIQV1I_oaPcN5FmCP9z44TP2EW1L9AgP1hG4YqV8
These are some Nigina carvings to compare https://www.antiquers.com/threads/nagina-carving-a-lost-art.18592/

 

Sorry for the correction lol, it's about time I knew something, I've spent years on here learning from you

 

Thanks Mr 808 State. I've seen some astronomical prices online from dealers but sold prices on eBay are a little more modest. One being £40. It's s bit wobbly too. Maybe someone could rejuvenate it or upcycle it into something else. The aesthetic beauty has been preserved despite the damage.

 

I don't think as little as that, there are pieces from India that resemble yours but are far cruder and much newer, please don't get yours mixed up with those. These corners were normally glued or had wooden pegs and glue, unless you need to use it as a tray I wouldn't try to fix it, it could do with a wash with a dry toothbrush followed by a good wax polish but other than that it's lovely, old and uncommon.

 

I said you might have to correct me, and you did.

 

Thanks for the advice. Me and repairs don't mix so will leave it to someone else.