Decorative tray. Germany, XIX century.

Decorative tray. Germany, XIX century.
Silver.
With punches.
Measurements: 38 x 48 cm.

Oval tray in silver, worked by means of the techniques of embossing, chiseling and hammering (martillée), of evident decorative refinement. The composition is organized in two registers: the seat and the perimeter eaves, separated by a transitional grooved border.

On the seat, an allegorical scene of Greco-Roman inspiration is developed, representing a fluvial allegory, seated next to some reeds and in front of a marine landscape, in whose horizon a distant mountain is outlined. The figure holds on one knee a barrel pouring water, symbol of the river course and natural fertility. The relief modeling is fine and with smooth contours.

The eaves are richly ornamented with embossed motifs of marine and terrestrial fauna: fish, birds, mollusks, snails and small crustaceans arranged in a rhythmic manner, evoking the abundance of nature and the symbolic relationship between water and life. The background of the eaves shows a hammered finish that, by capturing the light in an irregular way, gives the whole a vibrant effect and a subtle alternation between gloss and matte.

Because of its balance between compositional elegance, technical virtuosity and iconographic richness, this tray is an outstanding example of German decorative silverware of neoclassical or early Romantic origin, in which the allegorical sense is combined with the search for formal refinement and material brilliance characteristic of Central European goldsmithing.