Brass Decorative Pan with Hand-Driven Leaf Motif, ca. 1930-1950

A brass decorative pan with a hand-driven leaf motif in relief, likely dating from the first half of the twentieth century. The design is executed in the repoussé technique: the metal has been worked from behind and refined on the front, giving the surface a lively, three-dimensional quality. The two hand-formed handles are secured with copper rivets, a construction method rooted in the tradition of artisanal coppersmithing. The brass has been carefully polished; the warm golden tone is bright and intact.

Brass objects of this kind were produced in large numbers during the first half of the twentieth century by craft workshops across Europe, often as decorative wall pieces or mantelpiece ornaments. The repoussé technique, with its characteristic hand marks and slight irregularities, distinguishes this kind of work from industrially pressed, mass-produced pieces. Because of the relief in the base, this piece is intended primarily as wall or table decoration rather than as a functional vessel.