Featured Handled Tray

Any thoughts?

 

Very pretty tile in the center. With the Japonisme elements, I would say pre-1900 by a decade at least.

 

Thanks. Nice and crisp molding.
Clean or not?

 

Clean how? Do you think it's silver plated?

 

Oh my goodness, Kardinalisimo, that handled tray is soooo pretty (love the tile in the center).

 

Looking again, I think that the darkest parts of the tray are intentionally darkened and I wouldn't mess with that. Maybe a light swipe with a damp cloth on the tile (where those dots are in your closeup.)

 

It is lovely! I do not believe I would attempt any cleaning. I think the color is intentional too and looks just right IMHO!

 

Oh, I thought it was tarnished silverplate.

 

The color is too even to be tarnish. I have several pieces of silver plated holloware from this period that were finished this way.

 

I'll check carefully for marks but what do you think of the origin? American?
What's the style/movement called?

 

Japonisme. Although you often see the term Aesthetic Period used for silver and porcelain with the circular "vignettes" as seen on your tile.

 

VERY nice Kard !! .. Joy.

 

Hi,
I have to agree, it is very nice indeed.
greg

 

I agree with you that it is silverplated. However trying to clean it at this point will be very difficult. You're probably better off leaving it the way it is.

Japonica, Orientalia, Aesthetic Period are all terms that could be used with this.

 

Coul not find any marks.

 

I would call it Aesthetic. The tile is Japonist as Bakers said. Japonism is one of the aspects of the Aesthetic Movement in art.

 

Beautiful Aesthetic piece. Would think this silverplate that should have been polished. At this point, who knows what the results would be if you try. The damage to the tile is also unfortunate.

 

Absolutely gorgeous. Agree that the finish is quite even to be any kind of tarnish. I would not try to remove it. Japonesque.

 

Yeah, tile is cracked but it looks stable, not showing on the back.

 

Not much to add, it's circa 1880s, and would have been sold as a cake basket. Cake baskets, fruit baskets, and other similar pieces are now often called 'bride's baskets' since they were popular wedding gifts, but they weren't sold as such, bride's baskets do show up in the 20th century, though they're taller pieces intended to hold flowers.

The black finish in the first pics is just decades of tarnish, embossed (occasionally called brocade) designs like this were usually offered in 'old silver' or 'oxydized' finishes, the recesses were patinated, with the higher areas polished to show off the pattern, though they were sometimes also offered in plain 'silver' and gilt or parcel gilt finishes. Don't believe I'd attempt much more than just a light polishing of the high areas, some folks like the tarnish. The cracks are unfortunate, but it's unusual to see the tile insert at all...

The clip below shows a napkin ring with the same design as the larger bands, it's from an 1889 retailer's catalog, so can't pin down the maker, but they do state that it was made by one of four companies: Rogers, Smith & Co., Meriden Britannia (didn't find it in my old MB catalogs), Meriden Silver Plate, or Middletown Plate.

~Cheryl