Large French toilet or bath tray; it is made of sheet iron, painted with a special black dye and then decorated, in a highly artistic way, with flowers, leaves and arabesques using gold paint; it was made in imitation of the imported Chinese lacquer that was popular in 18th century Britain. The painting process was developed in the 18th century by Thomas Allgood in Pontypool, Wales, a major mining town. The paint was created from asphalt, a by-product of coal, mixed with shellac, and the mixture was applied to household items made of sheet metal; several layers were distributed, each of which was brought to a high temperature so that the finished objects were extremely durable and never rusted. This process, known as Japanning because it resembled the lacquer of Chinese trays, soon spread throughout Europe, especially in France, where the decorations were more elaborate and precious. Our tray was created in an artisan workshop on the outskirts of Paris (France) between 1850 and 1855 during the reign of Napoleon III. The tray is in good condition. Measure length 74 cm, width 50 cm, height 4 cm.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
