A very charming antique toleware tin tray, beautifully hand-painted with sprays of wild roses and a laurel frieze. The tradition of applying paint and lacquer to tin in this style began as a way of preventing everyday and household objects from rusting, but evolved into a whole artform in itself, with pierced borders like this one a popular feature. The tray shows signs of its long and useful life, with some scratches and marks on the surface. A very interesting, and attractive, piece of history.