Shell Crest

Name: Shell Crest
 
Type: Serving Tray
 
Year: circa 1940s–1960s
 
Set: No
 
Mark: None - S.P.B., Sweden
 
History: This is a mid-century silver-plated serving tray made in Sweden by the maker marked "S.P.B." While there is limited publicly accessible information on this exact Swedish silversmith, such mark conventions suggest a smaller-scale or export-focused producer active around the 1940s–60s, during a period when Scandinavian countries were known for both modernist and revivalist silverware styles.
 
 
The tray exhibits Rococo Revival design cues — most notably the stylized shell crests and scrollwork at intervals around the raised edge. These motifs are typical of 18th-century French and English influence but became popular again in the early to mid-20th century for servingware aiming at elegance and classical opulence. The oxidized patina, rainbowing, and uneven tarnish are characteristic of aged silver plate, likely over copper or a nickel alloy base.
 
 
Given the scale and form, it would have been used as a formal serving piece for tea, hors d’oeuvres, or as a centerpiece base — likely intended for domestic presentation rather than commercial use. It may also have accompanied Swedish silver-plate tea sets of the era, which were often sold as coordinated sets.
 
Flaws: Age related patina all over has developed.