19th Century French Black Lacquered Papier Mâché Tray with Gilt Star Decoration, 14 Inches

Beautiful 19th century French papier mâché tray in black lacquer with incredibly charming allover gilt star decoration, which I absolutely love, and a wonderfully sculptural scalloped form. This is another example of papier mâché being used as a luxury decorative material, lacquered and gilded in ways that gave it a richness wood could not achieve. The dense gilt patterning is what really sets this apart, it almost reads like a textile or tooled surface from a distance. Wonderful as a catchall, layered on a tabletop, or stood upright as a decorative object in a cabinet