Bring out beautiful trays

The serving tray is a symbol of hospitality. Almost anything - sparkling crystal, an assortment of elegant appetizers or a selection of rich desserts – looks more inviting when it is arranged on a tray.

I have a small collection of hand-painted metal trays that I’ve picked up at antique shops, flea markets, estate sales and auctions over the years. None are truly antiques – most are from the 1940s through the 1960s – but each one has a certain vintage charm. Some are simple and round with a single rose painted in the center. Others are more elaborate with cut-out handles or fluted and scrolled rims.

These trays are often mistakenly called “tole” trays because they are painted in the folk-painting style which uses certain strokes to create the image of flowers and other objects and effects. But tole painting is a specifically French term.

Painted metal trays have been popular in this country since colonial times. Later they were mass produced by companies like Nashco Products in New York.

Painting on tin continues to be a popular craft.

Most of my trays are black, which is the traditional color. But I also look for other colors, particularly sage green and red.

Usually, it is obvious that the vintage trays I find have been well-used because the paint is faded and scratched. A few, in better condition, have spent their time on display.

A number of the trays in my collection hang on the walls of my dining room and the rest are scattered throughout other rooms of my house.

Some would say that these trays aren’t art pieces because they don’t have the same quality as the truly rare examples of hand-painted tin that were created more than 100 years ago.

That doesn’t matter to me at all. Most of my trays were painted by amateurs, people like you and me. I admire the time and energy that went into the colorful, stylized flowers and geometric designs painted on each one. I like to imagine the woman – or man – who might have labored over their work and then used or displayed it proudly.

Painted metal trays have increased in value in the last few years but prices have dipped since they peaked in the late 1990s. They are common on online auction sites like eBay and this has helped keep prices low.

We’re entering the season of hospitality, a time when our homes are opened to friends and family.

It’s the perfect time to bring out a pretty tray.