What would this silverplate Tray/Bowl have been used for?

I'm having trouble figuring out what this tray/bowl would be used for. It's like a deep tray. It fits 2 old fashion glasses very well, but that's all I could think of. It measures 11" x 8 1/2" x 3/4". Maybe to serve cordials? Any thoughts?

 

Serving vegetables at table, bread/rolls, cold sliced ham, a mound of strawberries..................in other words it is probably "just" a serving piece, uses limited to what fits and doesn't slop over the rim

 

Thanks, Mansons -- I still have a hard time putting most food into a silver serving piece. Not to mention that a serving spoon or fork would scratch the heck out of the silver, but just, yuck, food on metal. Not for me.

 

Pam, you could always put a pretty napkin in it to serve bread or rolls. Food wouldn't touch the metal, and there wouldn't be utensils scratching the surface.

 

Funny, that! People have different perceptions and dislikes, that's for sure. I dislike food served on any metal (including stainless steel) that ISN'T silver. I can even taste the difference using a stainless fork as opposed to a silver one. When I was undergoing chemotherapy it was even worse - the "smell" of stainless steel made me ill and I just couldn't eat with it. And yes, I have done the "blind taste test" a number (a few dozen) times over the years and it never fails - I can taste the difference.

 

Hi Mansons,
I quite agree with you.
greg

 

Could be a tray for matching silverplate cream and sugar set, but the preceding suggestions all make sense too.

 

I thought tray for a set of some sort at first as well - but it appears just a tad too deep - just deep enough that you would knock the bottom of the milk jug against it and splash it all over your hand.............DRAT!!!

 

It would however make an excellent Christmas cookie platter. On most trays the cookies have a bad habit of sliding around. This would hold them securely, so you can grab one without the rest doing their best to make grease spots on your tablecloth. It would also work nicely for serving Stollen, provided one sliced it elsewhere, for the same reason.

 

Yeppers on both - the reason and the stollen

 

Silver is a wonderful germicide. And interestingly, research has found brass door handles to be far less germ laden than plastic ones.

 

Its very pretty, I can see it with a pretty serviette and nice chocolates on it.

 

...not that they'd last long....

 

My first thought is a calling card tray.