Tiered seder plate from Vienna

This tiered Seder plate is a Passover tray with several superimposed levels, designed to separate the three unleavened breads (matsot) arranged in the upper compartments from the symbolic foods placed in small dishes on the level above. It thus facilitates the ordering of the Seder, which requires that the matsot remain distinct. Viennese pieces, crafted in silver, stack pierced trays supported by columns or figurines, in an elaborate work of silversmithing. This type, more complex than the simple circular plate, illustrates the functional ingenuity and splendor of festive silverware in Central European communities.