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Posted 9 months ago
Unknownash…
(1 item)
I'd like to find out if this ashtray is of any real value. The back is numbered (95/230) and the name is something like Mtay (the first letter I'm guessing at since M is the closest real letter to the squiggle). The impressions where you might put a cigarette are as big as my finger so I'm thinking maybe it was designed for cigars. It appears to be ceramic with the 3 fish painted on then glazed.
Any help identifying the artist who created this would be appreciated. I'm assuming since it's numbered that maybe it was created by someone of importance.
Thanks!
AshtraysEven though the practice of smoking tobacco has been around since the 16th …
Art PotteryThe art pottery movement began in the 1870s in America and Britain, coincid…
A photo of the back would be helpful to affirm my inclination that what is written there is "Italy". Nice modernist piece.
Thanks for the QUICK reply! I posted a picture of the back, it was hard to avoid the glare, but hopefully it's enough to see what you wanted. It could be Italy, but I don't see the L , it looks like it goes right from the lower case a to a big Y. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks!
Believe me it is Italy. You find similar versions on ceramics from many factories. The letter Y is not one of the 21 letters of the Italian alphabet. The artists just put this English word on their products in a flourish and quite mechanically. In some cases they were illiterate and were drawing rather than writing. As is I was writing some Chinese characters!
That's awesome! I never expected a solution so quickly! Do you happen to know if the numbers are an indication of a limited series, or again just to make people feel they got something special? I don't smoke, but I was uncertain if I should keep it as a valuable display item or put it in the yard sale box.....I'd never forgive myself if I sold it for a nickel and found out later it was a priceless gem.
So far it's an unknown science, I think.
A good place to start on the net is here:
http://www.ceramic-link.de/icd/pages/marks/marksbycountry/italy.htm
There's an interesting Italian site for manufacturers and artists but mostly in Italian:
http://www.archivioceramica.com