Back view. Not finished cleaning.

You have a Buddha ... punch-engraved.

And someone added - perhaps from a broken brass-mounted pottery dish or perhaps made for the purpose - what looks like a very European grapes and vines cast edging.

As to when it happened, or who did it ... no clue.

Although you don't have the only one, so it may have been manufactured that way

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208360672/brass-etched-plate-raised-grape-leaf

Thank you for the link, Gardens. ( I can't call you Lazy. :-) )The edge design is identical.

I suppose that is what my local friends were getting at. The center décor is absolutely Asian, but the grapevines really don't match, do they? What is Buddha leaning on with is right arm? Faintly resembles a CD/DVD holder, but I am pretty sure that is not it.

That looks more like a "scholar" and he's leaning on his portable box of brushes and inks.

I bought it at a thrift shop here in Savannah for only $28. One person commented that the scrap value alone would be worth that much. I may eat from it. I really have a fondness for hand-worked metal and like the idea of something that can be used as a dinner plate one moment and decoration the next.

Lazygardens, your post from Etsy has led to some interesting dialogs. I have spoken to the person in that posting and have also found ANOTHER individual who has a brass plate of the same size (though no design in the center) and the identical rim and have started a dialog with that person as well. So far, no one has anything more than "made in China more than 30 years ago" though one of the persons is going to have their plate appraised sometime next month. Thanks again!

This post was edited by BradleyD on Mon, Dec 22, 14 at 23:11

This type of brassware was popular as wall art in the 1950-1970s. It was never intended to be eaten from or never intended to be placed on a table except maybe as a fruit bowl type of thing. It's intended use was as a decorative piece.

The plate looks hand forged. The grapes were molded then soldered or welded on then finely chased (from what I can see). The Chinese design was engraved by hand. I really don't know who made this work, my first guess is India. Perhaps Indonesia. It is typical of the types of hand-made, hand-crafted items made in the 1970s to appeal to the American market at those import shops that were the precursor of Pier 1, and back when Pier 1 was actually importing one of a kind items.

The design, while Chinese in origin, is actually copying Chinese export porcelain and those types of blue and white ceramics made in Europe and America for the last 200 years. It wasn't trying to "be" Chinese as much as it was imitating a popular style of design.

As an example of brassware it shows several different techniques probably done by several craftsmen -and the exploitation (or demonstration) of these techniques was meant to show off the skills of the various workers and therefor appeal to the buyer. 1. Someone forged the plate, which has a crisp and deep inset. 2. The molds were made and 3. applied. 4. Then another chased the molds, though they are the same, they show unique differences especially when when you compare the tendrils. 5. Finally a worker incised the decoration, engraving it with a slim chisel. This piece shows the work of 5 different craftsmen.

Still, at $28, I don't see it as an investment piece. But if you bought it because you love it -then try to find a way to display or use it. Find plate hanging hardware and put it up on the wall. It would also make a decent dish as a key drop on your dresser to empty your pockets onto.

This post was edited by Lilylore on Thu, Dec 25, 14 at 8:39