This gilt and patinated bronze tray reflects Edgar Brandt’s fascination with ancient civilizations and archaic symbolism. Its design draws freely on East Asian ritual bronze mirrors—particularly the circular mirrors of the Han and Tang dynasties—whose reverse sides were richly ornamented with intricate compositions combining mythological figures, inscriptions, and cosmic motifs. In these cultures, the mirror was far more than a utilitarian object: it functioned as an emblem of authority, a protective talisman, and a mediator between the earthly and the spiritual realms.

Brandt transposes this symbolic dimension into the very structure of his tray. His decorative vocabulary, typically organized around disciplined scrollwork, unfolds here in a more liberated, almost centrifugal spiral movement. The central vortex appears animated by an invisible breath, suggesting a mythological wind—perhaps a poetic evocation of Zephyrus—and introduces a dynamic tension within the circular composition.

The lateral handles take the form of two confronted and intertwined serpents whose stylized bodies frame a solar disc. Both solar and ophidian, this motif refers to ancient iconographic traditions. A related variant appears carved on the cornice of the Temple of Horus at Edfu in Egypt, where the serpent, paired with the disc, becomes a symbol of protection, rebirth, and cosmic power.

In this work, Edgar Brandt does not literally quote antiquity; rather, he absorbs its spirit and transforms it into a modern synthesis. The tray thus becomes a learned yet highly symbolic Art Deco object, in which ornament—far from being merely decorative—conveys a mythological and universal resonance.