Plate with image???

[Ripcon]

I dug this plate today in west central Mississippi at an old home site that dates back to the 1830's.
Can anyone i.d. this piece and give me any idea of an age? The back is made of pewter and it has a hole in each corner. There appears to be an image of a man on the front and it's made of copper (?). Thanks for any assistance!



Here's the image after impressing in clay

 

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[bowwinkles]

From the design I feel that it is a form to produce a 3D reproduction of the image. Just take a piece of modeling clay and press it on to the plate and u will see the hair and breasts are pronounced.

 

[Ripcon]

Does this process date to the mid 1800's?

 

[Kray Gelder]

At one time, celluloid collars were a big deal, as well as having a dedicated box to store your assortment. Your image shows a man rising out of a celluloid collar, and wearing the same collar. This plate may have adorned one of these boxes. Just a WAG. I don't see any hair or breasts.

 

[invent4hir]

The reverse image and all those dimples arranged in rows and columns reminds me of something used on a printing press. Don't know who the character is, but the age may come from the style of clothes. Someone on TNet can probably estimate that.

 

[GoldieLocks]

I do think it is a plate for some kind of press machine.

 

[Toecutter]

Printing press plate, no idea who the dude is though...

 

[Inspector Comet]

From the design I feel that it is a form to produce a 3D reproduction of the image. Just take a piece of modeling clay and press it on to the plate and u will see the hair and breasts are pronounced.

But... It's a man?

 

[DCMatt]

At one time, celluloid collars were a big deal, as well as having a dedicated box to store your assortment. Your image shows a man rising out of a celluloid collar, and wearing the same collar. This plate may have adorned one of these boxes. Just a WAG. I don't see any hair or breasts.

Great ID! Turn of the 20th C up into the 20's(?)...

 

[Inspector Comet]

I would agree with the others here: it's a printing block for creating an image of whoever this guy is. The holes could have been used to hold down the block while an artist carved that image into it, or they could have been used to align it in some kind of printing press. If the majority of the detail is in the same plane (as it appears to be), then it would not be intended for casting a 3D design as bowwinkles suggested.

Here's another example from eBay: