Penrose Antiques

Description

We have for sale a quite stunning large decorative Victorian japanned papier mâché tray.

This truly beautiful Victorian papier mâché tray is of a lovely japanned moulded form and and is richly decorated with a central motif of a large finely painted bouquet of flowers within a vibrant blue and gilt border all surrounded by a gilded foliate design to the moulded rim. The decoration is remarkably vibrant and fresh, and is very indicative of the tray having spent a life being protected from direct sunlight. The tray is unsigned but certainly is of sufficient quality to have been produced by Jennens and Bettridge.

Judging by the evenness and of the tray and the quality of the moulding, the tray most probably dates to sometime after 1847 when Theodore Hyla Jennens acquired a patent for steam molding dry papier Mâché panels and sometime before Jappanned papier mâché fell out of fashion in the mid 1860s.

The tray is 25 inches (63.5cm) long and 19.5 inches (49.5cm) wide and is in a very good to excellent condition with the decorated surface having survived remarkably well with only minimal craquelure and minimal surface ware. The back of the tray does carry some surface scratching and wear along with one chip to the japanning all of which is commensurate with its approximate 150-160 years age. It is very unusual to find a tray of this size and quality in such a good condition.