Bronzey footed dish? Mythical creature motif. Who, what, where,why, when?

Found this in the basement of an interesting estate. Bust in center is stained pretty badly. Any ideas on how to remove this? Looks rusty but not quite. Bronze doesn’t really rust so maybe not actually bronze or maybe it isn’t actually rust?

Its got a great look IMO outside of the staining.

Not sure exactly what it was? Footed dish? No depressions in the edge so guessing not an ashtray? Something was broken from the bottom.

It doesn’t look like it has a tremendous amount of age to me but it’s neat.

Any ideas on what it was and when it was made? Probably nothing but worth asking.

Approximately 6”-9” diameter. I don’t have it handy at the moment.

 

Looks kind of like someone spilled latex paint on cast iron, resulting in rust...

~Cheryl

 

It does look like something was spilled or leaked onto it. I didn’t think it was cast iron but your probably right. At least an alloy containing iron. It has a bronze like finish in person. Not heavy enough to be bronze though I just remembered.

 

It looks like part of a tazza

 

A magnet will answer if it is iron

 

Try Assyrian. The winged figures.

 

The ornamental style is called grotesque and came into popularity when it was found in the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum. So it starts off as Roman, becomes re-popularizied in the 16th C and has continued on and off since.

https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&...i=-doIXpCVLczEsAW21YmgBw&q=grotesque+ornament

 

Yes thanks, that's what I was trying to say without being able to recollect the proper name for it.

 

Why didn't I think of that? Lol Magnet for precious metals, sure. Magnet for iron, nah. Next time I get a chance I'll give it a go.

 

Thanks that definitely brings up some good results. No match but love looking at it. I love grotesque it turns out and just never knew what to call it!

 

Knowing it's a grotesque style tazza with some Assyrian imagery, anyone care to take a stab at age? The bottom looks relatively modern to me, maybe post 1950. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

Check out the Elkington ones if you want to see how nice they can be ...

 

If not iron it is more likely plated spelter aka white metal aka pot metal, a zinc alloy. Far more decorative items like this were made in spelter than bronze. Why? Looked same but was much less costly to manufacture.

 

I have a matching pitcher - same material, same condition. My ex found it in a house he was cleaning out when we had our antique store. He was told it was garden decor. This was in 1973. We've been divorced for decades, but I'm still dragging this thing around. It was allegedly 1910 vintage. Alledgedly covers a lot of time.

 

Bev, is it iron? Can you check it with a magnet? Sorry to be harping on this but it is a simple test to answer the question if it is or is not iron

 

They are nice...and pricey!

 

Awesome! Pics pleassssse!

 

Yes! I was thinking this but don't have a lot of experience with spelter and didn't want to say it just in case it sounded crazy. Thanks!

 

I'll be able to check mine in the next couple days if Bev can't first. I think Springfield.aresenal is probably onto something though.

 

Hmm. First I have to figure out where in the storage space we put it. We just went through and organized a month ago, but it was one of the things that got stashed in the back.