Posted 9 years ago
jef624
(1 item)
I found this at an estate sale in Central Texas. It appears to be a Dickensian mother with two daughters. The main part of the piece (mother + daughters) is 6.5 inches tall. When you add the 5 bottom pieces it adds another 2 inches. Each piece is stamped in red made in Japan.
The guesses about the bottom pieces include (1) four hand-held ashtrays; four trinket dishes; and (2) a match holder, a cigarette holder, a hidden compartment for trinkets.
Any help on a further information would be appreciated. I found one of these on Etsy, but it did not include the 5 bottom pieces and included little information other than it was made in the 1950s. It's the only one I've found.
I really like this! Have never seen such a thing. Definitely 1950s/1960s.
You can look for the stamp here:
http://www.gotheborg.com/marks/20thcenturyjapan.shtml
If the figure is hollow, I believe you would stack cigarettes in the dish part - see how all the edges are round to fit more in? Probably non-filter ciggies. The flat dishes are ashtrays.
OR - the lighter is missing in the bottom of mom. Here's a christmas tree one. I HATE that smoking is so taboo now! They had the neatest doodads for smoking!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/246338566/vintage-christmas-tree-lighter-and
Celine,
Thanks for sharing the Christmas Tree figure! I hadn't seen that one. I can't figure out if/how a lighter would have fit into/onto the figure but I agree that the top dish would hold cigarettes. Maybe I'll break down, buy some cigarettes and experiment.
You are welcome!