Hello,
Today I have for sale an antique 800 silver platter. The platter has a very decorative motive in the center with filigree edges. This type of technique of working on metal is called repousse.
There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical. Chasing is the opposite of repoussé, and the two are used in conjunction to create a finished piece. It is also known as embossing.

While repoussé is used to work on the reverse of the metal to form a raised design on the front, chasing is used to refine the design on the front of the work by sinking the metal. The term chasing is derived from the noun "chase", which refers to a groove, furrow, channel, or indentation. The adjectival form is "chased work".

The techniques of repoussé and chasing use the plasticity of metal, forming shapes by degrees. There is no loss of metal in the process as it is stretched locally and the surface remains continuous. The process is relatively slow but a maximum of form is achieved, with one continuous surface of sheet metal of essentially the same thickness. Direct contact of the tools used is usually visible in the result, a condition not always apparent in other techniques, where all evidence of the working method is eliminated.

The platter we have available for sale most likely is from Germany. It is stamped 800 at least twice on the platter- one stamp is located above the head of one of the cherubs. The back has a stamp of number 128- also applied few times. The dish has a intricate and labor intensive design, there is four cherubs in the center surrounded by repetition ox rose arrangements kept in an airy fashion of filigree.

The platter measures inches 9 long x 6 .5 inches wide. It weighs 180.1 grams. 

Please contact me with any question regarding the item. Thank you for visiting :)