Wooden Tray info requested - new pic

[kidden6968]

I am not sure if anyone could guide me on this beautiful wooden tray.  I am trying to find some information.  It is round - about 13" diameter with a sort of leaf design around the rim.  There is a sticker on the back which says:  Patineret and a round emblem that says AARHUSTRAKUNST and below what looks like a building, the name Henry Nielsen.  Under the word "Patineret" are 2 boxes and in one marked N.R. it is hand numbered in pen with the number 213.   The box below is marked PRIS K.R. and unfortunately what was written there is long faded.

This is a repost - I had tried to get better pictures of the label the last time I posted this and they still were not great.  I am not a good photographer - first to admit that - but hoping these are a little better.  Thank you to everyone who tried my last post and hoping these will help.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[kidden6968]

I keep trying to work with the lighting and the macro setting - I hope this is a better view of the label.  I am trying to determine possible country of origin - someone mentioned possible Dutch I think - and if there is any value to this platter.  I wish I could determine approximate age.  Thank you to anyone who might have suggestions or knowledge.

The label is actually dark blue and white and the bottom of the brown wooden platter is a brown felt.  The color may not be exact here as I edited color to try and get clear lettering on the label.

[mart]

Didn`t find much but it appears that your tray is possibly Danish !! Patineret is from the Danish and means "patina or aged" !!  "Kunst" means art. So I think that aarhustrakunst is actually two words aarhustra kunst.   Found nothing for aarhustra and I wonder if it is a proper name ??  There are many Henry Nielsens so tracking this one down may take some time. I simply googled the name and found a bunch. Looking at the numbers it appears to me that the 213 is maybe 2/3 ?? Could be a date ??

[waywardangler]

Mart, I think you are totally correct. Good job! I do not anything about the Danish language but Aarhus is a town so I am wondering what adding "tra" to the end of a town name would mean in Danish?

I also agree the 213 is 2/3 because foreign 1s have a leading wing at the top that to our US eye looks like a 7.

[mart]

More than what I found,, I have no clue !!  I found that town as well I am wondering if there was some sort of festival and guessing that the date is Feb. `03 possibly to commerate a special historic event in the town, was what it was made for !!  Possibly from an old tree rather than the date of carving the piece was why it said patineret.

[waywardangler]

So we have a label that read Aarhus trae Kunst , Henry Nielsen, Patinated, Number 2/3, Price (Krone) and nowhere on the internet is there any other labels like this, no images, and no info on a Henry Nielsen as a factory or woodworker.

This is interesting..."The word "tree" is most directly derived from Middle English meaning dead wood or timber. ... "trae" in Danish, "trad" in Swedish, "drevo" in Russian, and "dpus" in Greek. ... Swedish language used the word "tra" for timbered area. ..."

For the longest time I was looking at that tra word wondering what those 3 lines or dots were on the right edge of the a, and now it hits me that it is TRAE. "For example: Århus or Aarhus; træ or trae (tree)" Æ is pronounced as the "a" in “fact” or the "e" in “met” depending on the word! http://www.fyidenmark.com/danish-alphabet.html

Traekunst means wooden art.  Aarhus Wooden Art.

[mart]

You know much more than I do !! But sounds like you got it figured out !! Hooray !!!! (If I ever had to make a living as a linguist I would starve to death) !!

[kidden6968]

Wow that must have taken a lot of research.  Thank you for the information.  I tried to do some myself last night and did come across the town of Aarhus but couldn't figure out the rest.  Still curious as the only Henry Nielsen I found from that area was from the University.  I do know that my friend's grandmother's maiden name is Nielsen and the information we have is that she had this for a long time so I don't think it was made in 2003. 

I can see the difference now with the 2/3 as opposed to 213 but still curious to find out more.  Hmmmmm.  Thank you all for your time.  Maybe there is someplace in Aarhus I could write to???  I will have to check into that.

[mart]

I am sure that most towns have a place that tourists can get info or a historical society of some type !! And family memory is not always accurate on dates. I would question the family a bit more as to the history of the tray !!  That 2/3 could also be that this tray was the second out of three that were carved !!  Did you say that the numbers were written in  ?? If so then that is a possibility !!

[kidden6968]

I would love to ask the family more information but unfortunately they are all deceased.  My friend's grandmother passed away 4 years ago at the age of 93.  She outlived both of her two children and she was an only child so there are no other relatives that we know of.  I will try and find somewhere that I can contact in Aarhus.  Yes the numbers were handwritten in ink.  I can tell also that there were numbers written in the bottom box but they have long since faded and I can't make them out.  Again, thank you.

[mart]

Good luck and let us know what you find out !!

[kidden6968]

I will certainly do that - thank you all again!!!

[kidden6968]

Not sure if anyone will get this as this thread is getting outdated but just wanted to update.  I have sent e-mails to the University at Aarhus, the Tourist Center as several museums but have not had any reply as of yet.  I am still working on this and will update if I get any reply.  Thank you again to those that were able to decipher some of this label   

[mart]

I hope you get the information you want from someone there !!  Let us all know what you find out !!

[kidden6968]

Will do Mart - thanks again!!!