Fred Press Vintage Hand Carved Cheese Board / Plate 10” Square MCM, Bright

Rare 10” Square Fred Press Vintage Hand Carved Cheese Board / Plate MCM. I’ve seen many circular tile plates by Fred Press but very few square ones. Heavy and solid, no flaws. This had very little or no use—the gold paint is still bright and intact and the stickers on the back are hardly worn. Stickers say: Styson Inc. and Seru Wood, JAPAN HANDCRAFTED HARDWOOD pat. pending. There’s a little magnetic inset next to the tile meant to hold the cheese knife—I wish I could find that! Fred Press was apparently a sculptor first and foremost, as well as a painter and designer. From his biography… “In the early 1950s he moved to New York City and became the leading designer and Executive Vice President of Rubel and Company, a posh New York City company located on Fifth Ave, that produced high quality decorative household items. He remained in the position for 30 years and in that time revolutionized the giftware industry…. He took an ordinary form … and turned it into a sensational work of art through his imaginative eye-catching designs using a brilliant combination of color, texture, and artistic perfection.”