Lot 396: Late 19th Century Carved Oak Oval Serving Tray with Grotesque Mask Handles

A late 19th or early 20th century oval serving tray constructed from dark-stained oak. The wide border features a continuous band of hand-carved foliate scrolls and acanthus leaves in high relief. The horizontal ends terminate in integral handles, each elaborately carved with a stylized grotesque mask or North Wind face, flanked by scrolling elements. Each mask is further accented with three small, inlaid circular dots of bone or mother-of-pearl. The central field consists of a flat, polished wooden panel with a visible straight grain. The underside reveals a plain wood surface secured around the perimeter with twenty-two visible copper or brass pins, many of which exhibit green verdigris oxidation. There are no visible maker’s marks, signatures, or labels.