Noob seeking help on small vintage / antique brass tray

[veronicathecow]

Hi, I am new to the forum so please forgive any errors.
I have a small brass tray that I picked up from a car boot sale.
Size is approx 5" x 9" with four small round feet underneath that go through to the topside of the tray.
It has 6 shallow depressions approx 1.25"  in diameter with what looks like a number 2 written in them.
Does anyone have any idea of the age, meaning of the symbols or the purpose of the tray, value etc.
Many thanks for your time.
Tony

[mart]

Welcome to the forum !! Quite an interesting little tray !! Is anything written,stamped on the back ??
Sorry, forgot,,can you take a pic of the back ??

[mariok54]

Is it maybe a Passover tray?

[veronicathecow]

Hi Mart, wow that was fast, thanks for replying.
Nothing on the back that I can see.
I researched it for a while but I am rather out of my depth here.
Here's is the back picture.
Cheers Tony

[veronicathecow]

Hi mariok54, thanks for that tip. I can see your point, had a quick google and there are some trays with 6 depressions in them but nothing with that "2" symbol

[mart]

Its not a 2 but just appears to be a design !!  Could have some symbolic meaning but would have no bearing on the tray itself !!  The design is a bit crude and looks to be hand decorated !!

[bigwull]

Looks very much like an Islamic tea tray....thats just missing its glasses....

[bigwull]

I agree with Mart....these "2".s ...are merely decorative squiggles...had they been a 2 then i,d expect  them to have uniformity..instead of the random way they have been inscribed....value wise...i don,t see this fetching much more than £10.....and thats with a Hurricane behind it....

[veronicathecow]

Hi Mart thanks for reply, yes it does look hand made. A "2" was the best way I could think of describing it the symbol.

Hi bigwull thanks for reply. Yes I did wonder about Persian /Islamic (didn't think of a tea tray though, thanks for that). The trouble is I cannot seem to match the designs to anything of that type.

[veronicathecow]

Hi bigwull, yes it is odd what with the symbols being placed with what appears to be a random orientation.

[veronicathecow]

I wonder if the symbols have been added afterwards by someone?
Just found from wikipedia that
"As a reversed S, Ƨ was also used as a fractional Roman numeral, where it stood for the fraction 1/72."

[bigwull]

Thats one thing you,re never likely to find out.....these trays were,nt made on a commercial basis....you,ll probably never see another like it....think needle in a haystack....there will be many that have the same configuration..i.e. 6 place settings, same size..similar inscriptions...but thats about it....

[mart]

That's true of anything hand done !!  The designs on this seem to be neutral,, not representing any particular culture !!

[veronicathecow]

Hi Mart and Bigwull, rats I was hoping someone would just be able to say "Why thats an XYZ from the something or other period"
Stilll it's an interesting piece, many thanks for your inputs.
Oh well Time for bed said Zebedee

[bigwull]

Hi Mart and Bigwull, rats I was hoping someone would just be able to say "Why thats an XYZ from the something or other period"
Stilll it's an interesting piece, many thanks for your inputs.
Oh well Time for bed said Zebedee

"Already" ...said Florence.... ......are you with us Mart......