Hi Lisa,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

While it's true that early Islamic religious thought discouraged the existence of figural imagery, particularly in sacred contexts where it would have been considered idolatry, Islamic art was never universally aniconic. Secular Islamic art often included faces and figures, particularly in Persian, Mughal, and Ottoman manuscripts, palace decorations, ceramics, and metalwork.

It was not uncommon for objects to fall into the Euphrates and other rivers, over several millennia, and I've actually had the first-hand experience of handling well-documented pieces that date back as far as you suggest. I'm sorry to say that this tray is not older than a few hundred years. I know this from the bright quality of the copper (after hundreds of years in a river, this would be so pitted with corrosion that a uniformly even and bright surface would be impossible to achieve, and the design would have almost entirely been wiped smooth).

The edges of this tray are comparatively crisp and don't show the gentle wear of time that a tray hundreds of years old would show.

This tray *could* have been made in the 18th Century but it's more likely to have been made in the 19th Century, when there was a fascination among mostly Europeans with the cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Influenced by colonial expansion, archaeology, and increased travel, Orientalism appealed to wealthy Westerners because it suggested luxury, mystery, scholarship, and cosmopolitan taste. Collecting “Oriental” objects or decorating with Islamic, Turkish, Egyptian, or Japanese motifs signaled sophistication and worldliness, while artists often romanticized these regions as exotic alternatives to industrialized Western society.

To meet the demand of such wealthy Western cultural tourists, there was a great demand for goods that emulated Oriental objects but often which were not quite "right": decorative elements that adopted Western sensibilities (seen here in the face) and calligraphic inscriptions that look authentic but don't mean anything. Vendors at souks and marketplaces liked to weave tall tales to romanticize the objects and make them more appealing to tourists.

Copper trays of similar size and age are currently selling for between $400 and $600 at auction.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique Orientalist copper tray
19th Century
probably made for export, featuring a scalloped edge and with a diaper-weave border at the outer and inner edge, centering a stylized face.
Diameter: 66cm (26 inches)
CONDITION: This appears to bein good condition with some pitting commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$400-600*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia