Late 19th Century Antique Moroccan/Moorish Hand Chased 36" Copper Tray

Details

Description

A museum-quality, monumental 36-inch late 19th-century Moroccan (Moorish) hand-chased copper tray tabletop. This spectacular piece represents the pinnacle of North … Read more A museum-quality, monumental 36-inch late 19th-century Moroccan (Moorish) hand-chased copper tray tabletop. This spectacular piece represents the pinnacle of North African metal craftsmanship from the historic artisanal guilds of Fez or Marrakech.

Core Iconography & Symbolism

The Centerpiece: Features a prominent, hand-engraved five-pointed geometric star enclosing a central floral rosette.

Cultural Meaning: Known locally as the Moroccan Seal of Solomon, the five points symbolize the Five Pillars of Islam.

The Talisman: In regional North African folk art, this specific pentacle layout serves as a protective shield to ward off the "Evil Eye" (Ayn) and anchor spiritual balance in the home.

The Calligraphic Inscription

The curved upper frieze features a masterfully executed band of flowing Arabic calligraphy written in a regional Maghrebi-influenced Thuluth script. Configured as a continuous loop of hospitality and blessing, the text repeatedly chisele out the sacred phrase:

"Al-Izz wa al-Yumn wa al-Barakah wa as-Surur li-Sahibihi"
(Translation: "Glory, Good Fortune, Divine Blessing, and Joy to its Owner.")

Traditional Construction & Authenticity Markers

The Forging: Entirely hand-beaten from a single thick, massive sheet of solid copper.

The Rim: Features an exquisite "pie-crust" crimped edge rolled tightly over an internal reinforcement wire to ensure the structural stability of its massive 36-inch scale.

The Reverse Side: Retains prominent coppersmith planishing (anvil-hammer) marks and a distinct structural alignment score line.

The Back Patina: Preserves remnants of its historic, molten tin-plating (Kalai) backing, which has beautifully worn down over a century to expose the warm, pinkish-orange raw copper core beneath.

Design Application

With its spectacular dark bronze finish and striking vibrant bands of genuine green verdigris crusting, this piece is an extraordinary global statement. It is perfectly scaled to be mounted directly as architectural wall art or repurposed as a luxury bohemian coffee table surface.

SPECIFICATIONS FIELD

Width: 36 inches

Height: 36 inches

Depth: 1.5 inches See less