Merry Toleware Bread Tray and Pitcher with Festive Tree

You can certainly “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” adding this Tole Painted bread Tray and Pitcher that includes a festive decorated tree in your home for the holidays! The colors are strong, bright and happy! Both of these pieces date to around the same time frame of 1830 to 1850.

The oval tole painted tray is adorned with an array of hand painted fruit in the middle while a floral motif accents each of the borders lending even more decoration against a black ground. There is surface wear to the mid-section as shown but the paint on the edges was fortunate enough to receive a reprieve!

Image 12 reflects the bottom of the tray where the outermost edges have lost their shape as some are bent inward and no longer conform to the gentle curvature form. There are no holes to report and this piece is in good overall condition considering how old it is.

The pitcher is in excellent condition with minimal traces of wear and my instincts tell me this piece was repainted at some point in time by a skillful artist. The crimson red cherries doubled with a foliate pattern make for a showy piece that conveys a bright and cheerful appearance. The wide mouth feature came in handy for the gold highlight accents that were repeated on the bottom edge.

A small decorated tree was placed inside the pitcher and surprises us with tiny wire wrapped candles, wispy red flowers and beechnut pods. The tree can be removed after the holidays and swapped out using other seasonal flowers if you so choose. This wonderful set will grace your home in style adding color and glorious decoration to any room of your choosing! Enjoy!

Tray measures 11 ¾” across (right to left), measures 9 ¼” front to back and is ¼” tall. Overall height of the pitcher is 8” tall including the tree, pitcher itself stands almost 5” tall near the front where the curved wide mouth is located, measures 3” across the top opening and measures 3 ½” across the bottom.