CLAM ashtray, Alan Fletcher (Mebel, 1970)

When I shared the previous post on the Gemini ashtray I said it was a mixture between the COPENHAGHEN ashtray by Ricard and the CLAM by Fletcher… for those who have followed me for some time the name COPENHAGHEN isn’t unknown, but even if the CLAM is quite popular, some may not know which one is it, so here I am sharing my CLAMS.

Clam was first produced in 1969, became a sales hit in the 1970s and was discontinued sometime in the late 90s or early 2000. I bought mine at Habitat (the iconic design shop created by Terence Conran) and it seems that this was the chain thet used to sell them since the begining. At the time I boight mine –within a couple of years- they were produced in dark blue, black, cream, white, orange and red. On a google search I’ve seen them made in yellow, a medium shade of blue and silver… I am pretty sure it was made in other colours during the 60s and 70s.

After the success of the Clam ashtrays, Fletcher design an straight stackable variation that allowed the astrays to shape up towers of different colours.

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Almost 24 hours later:

I am so silly, there's an Alan Fletcher website which is some kind of archive of his work...

Here's what they say about the CLAM ashtrays:

"Clam ashtray
Design Objectives
1972

Travelling on top of a number 27 bus down Westbourne Grove, Alan was suddenly struck with an idea for an ashtray. Not exactly something of riveting significance, but nevertheless an unsolicited mental image complete in all its detail. Including the shape, which resembled a dutch edam cheese. The identical halves were made from a single mould. They could be put together to form a base and lid, or used seperately thus providing two ashtrays.

The serrated teeth served to hold the halves together or to grip the cigarette. Within two months of its debut in the market it was copied in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. The genuine version has a credit stamped on the inner edge, the others don't. Anyway I've seen a half (with broken teeth) on a bank counter in Buenos Aires holding paper clips, on the dais of a Bankok bar where girls blow smoke rings from personal places, and on the desk of a designer who told me he'd salvaged it from a rabbit hutch in Norfolk."

So... if it was made in 1972 and not 1969 as they say in other webs... then Umeda's GEMINI is an earlier design???