The Good Fortune Tray: Each Piece Has a History

 

Due to the pandemic shutting down many thrift and antique shops, my search for vintage objects to house and frame my stained glass mosaics was diverted to Ebay. This time, I was looking for vintage brass trays that had the markings of a past life, a history: dents, scratches, tarnish and there marks.

On Ebay, I found an oval brass tray, made in Hong Kong, that had true signs of use. It was deeply tarnished and scratched.

Cleaning the tray was a combination of elbow grease, baking powder and vinegar, a messy but effective cleaning solution. It worked. I wanted the flat base to be clean and function as a mirror; but, also, wanted to leave some of the patina on the rim, acknowledging its’ past history.

In the center of the tray, there is set of Chinese characters which I did not have a clue as to their meaning. I was saved by several people who follow me on Instagram, who graciously informed me that the characters mean Good Fortune.

After, the cleaning of the Good Fortune tray, I began to play with designs and stained glass.

The Good Fortune tray is an integral part of this stained glass mosaic. It is a contemporary piece of art yet retains its’ past history.

The Rochelle Tray: Each Piece Has a History

  • THE ROCHELLE TRAY

To see larger images, just click on the photos.

I discovered this tray, deeply tarnished and scratched in a local Chicago thrift store. The tray was made by the International Silver Company, a popular manufacturer of silver and silver plated objects from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. The company worked with well known designers and used movie stars such as Judy Garland, Joan Crawford and Carol Lombard to promote its’ products. The company ceased operations in 1983.

  • Tarnished & Scratched
  • Rim With Scroll

The size of the tray and the rim with the flowing scroll intrigued me. Once cleaned, I thought there was a possibility that the tray could frame and be part of a unique stained glass mosaic. 

After the tray was cleaned, the change in appearance was dramatic, a nice surprise. An ugly duckling transforming into a graceful and beautiful swan. The wide floral engraving that emerged after cleaning adds another dimension to the mosaic.

  • Tray Cleaned
  • Floral Pattern

The next steps, after the cleaning of the tray, was the design and selection of the glass for the mosaic.

  • PAPER DESIGN
  • GLASS SELECTION

The Rochelle name for the mosaic comes from the marking on the back of the tray.

Manufacturer’s Mark: Each Piece Has A History.

Some of my stained glass mosaics are set in vintage, silver plated trays. The heyday for silver plated trays in the United States was from 1850 to 1940. Now, many of these trays, once popular, sit discarded in thrift shops. They  served a purpose in an earlier time. Although the trays show age and usage, they have character and a history.

A distinguishing part of that history is the manufacturer’s mark, etched on the back of the tray. Today, many of the manufacturers who designed and made the silver plated trays are no longer in business. But their mark still exists

The mark on the back of this silver plated, serving tray identifies the  maker of the tray as the Glastonbury Silver Company, Chicago. The company, no longer in business, was active from 1920 to 1950. Mark is shown below.

 

The mark on the back of this tray identifies the Gorham Manufacturing, a well-known name in silver and silver plating, was responsible for making the tray. The Gorham company was founded in 1831 in Rhode Island and later in the 1960’s was sold to Textron.