Rustic Antique German Bread Platter - Daily Bread Motto

A wonderful rustic example of a rare antique bread platter or breadboard in an oval shape, dating from around 1900, with a "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" motto in German.

This 19th breadboard just oozes character and charm, with deep carvings and a rich colour and patina. It's rare to find these in an oval shape, and it is a fine and solid example.

The German equivalent of Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread is carved around the outside of this board: “Gib Uns Heute Under Taglich Brod”. The bottom half of the board features an elaborately carved edelweiss pattern. 

The language used on this platter dates it to around 1901, when there was a spelling reform in Germany. The platter contains a mix of the old and new words, so is likely to have been carved as the reforms were taking place. The carving is very deep and, despite years of use, still remains crisp and sharp.

It is a lightweight platter, designed for serving bread at the table. It is evident from the cut marks on the board that it was also used as a breadboard. The middle of the board has a now faded carving of wheat thrashers. This is not recognisable now but the faded depiction adds an even more rustic feel to the piece.

This board is in good rustic condition considering its age. There are a number of knife marks which have worn the border and centre of this board, but this enhances the weathered patina. The board sits flat and is still very usable. 

Length, 31cm; Width, 24cm; Height, 2.5cm