Preliminary identification
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Overview
A striking example of early 20th-century functional art, featuring a white porcelain insert with a geometric 'bead and wave' pattern set into a heavy brass gallery frame. The tray's handles exhibit the stylized, organic-meets-industrial geometry that defined the transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco.
Story
Post-WWI Europe saw a radical shift toward clean, geometric lines as a rejection of Victorian clutter. This tray was likely the centerpiece of a sophisticated coffee service, designed to bring the avant-garde into the domestic home.
Maker / Origin
While the 'Dec. 1787' mark refers to a pattern number rather than a year, the style is highly consistent with German workshops like Wächtersbach, which collaborated with Secessionist designers to modernize household ceramics. These makers bridged the gap between traditional pottery and the high-design movements of Vienna and Berlin.
Condition & Value
The brass shows a natural aged patina with some surface oxidation and spotting consistent with age. The porcelain insert appears intact, though the underside shows some crazing; the presence of the original price sticker suggests it has been in the secondary market recently. Condition is good for its age.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.