Producer unknown to us
Tray / plate
Asia, Uzbekistan
20th century
Brass, chased
Collector / context of collection unknown
Context of acquisition by the Museum unknown
74277
In West and Central Asia, large metal plates served as tray-like saucers to present food and beverages, although food bowls, drinking vessels, water jugs, teapots, or tobacco products could also be placed directly on a cloth used for serving food. From the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, metal plates were increasingly used as purely decorative items.
This large brass plate depicts a niche from an image surrounded by arabesques of flowers. The center of the image is dominated by the remarkable Kalyan Minaret, one of the landmarks of the historic town center of Bukhara, flanked by the Kalyan Mosque and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasa. Below is the Uzbek/Tajik spelling for Bukhara in Cyrillic letters: БУХОРО.
Most likely, this item was made in a workshop in the 1970s or 1980s, possibly in Bukhara or another major city such as Tashkent or Samarkand. It bears no engraving or workshop identification.
Simone Jansen