Hi Pauline,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Historically, Damascus was one of the great metalworking centers of the Ottoman Empire. Its silversmiths produced fine jewelry, coffee services, belt buckles and sword fittings, religious objects and household wares.

By the 19th century, Damascus had thriving guilds of silversmiths, many of whom were Christians whose workshops specialized in exceptionally fine hand engraving and chased decoration. Silver goods were typically sold by weight, reflecting silver's role as a store of value as much as an artistic medium.

What made Damascus internationally famous, however, was not plain silver but silver- and gold-inlaid brass or steel. Artisans would hammer a brass or steel object, engrave intricate geometric and floral patterns, hammer thin wires or sheets of silver (and sometimes gold) into the grooves and burnish the surface until the precious metal became permanently locked into the base metal.

This technique became known in Europe as damascening, taking its name from the city itself. Although similar techniques existed elsewhere, Damascus became synonymous with the highest-quality examples.

Collectors especially prize pieces made from about 1870 to 1914, when Damascus experienced a revival of medieval Islamic decorative arts. These objects often feature dense arabesques, Arabic calligraphy, eight-pointed stars, Mamluk-style medallions, Qur'anic inscriptions (on some pieces) or exceptional silver inlay covering nearly every surface.

Many trays, ewers, boxes, incense burners, and vases from this period were exported to Europe and America, where they became fashionable "Orientalist" decorative objects.

Among collectors, the most desirable pieces are late 19th-century Mamluk Revival trays, large mosque lamps, monumental ewers and basins, signed works by recognized Damascus workshops and objects retaining nearly complete silver inlay with minimal wear.

George Elias Dabdoub owned a renowned and historic antique and oriental art shop of the same name located in the Al-Qaymariya neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, near Souq Al-Bzourieh. While Dabdoub is no longer there, the shop is a celebrated cultural destination for those seeking Syrian antiques, traditional oriental art, and restored regional furniture.

Syrian and other Middle Eastern trays of this size and vintage (late 19th Century) have been selling at auction recently for prices ranging from $2,000-3,000, though some private sellers have listed comparable examples they are selling for as much as $4,500 or $5,000.

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

An antique Orientalist silver and copper inlaid brass tray
late 19th Century
Centering a lobed medallion with calligraphic script surrounded by profusely scrolled foliate decoration, the medial border with five quatrefoil-lobed medallions interspersed with calligraphic script, within an outer border with 10 alternating panels, rope border.
diameter: 28-1/2 inches
CONDITION: this appears to be in good condition with minor wear commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Acquired from George E. Dabdoub in Damascus in the 1986
$2,000-3,000*
*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