Faux copper finished cast iron Pheonix design Japanese ashtray.

This faux copper finished cast iron ashtray is 7.25" square x 1.25" high and weighs 1 lb 14 ounces, marked "JAPAN" on the bottom. The design is fighting phoenixes. Maker not known.

The finish, sort of a verdigris, is one commonly seen on Japanese metal ware, especially ashtrays and incense burners. This finish seems a bad choice to me for those applications as it does not fare well when exposed to moisture or fire.... The finish is well preserved on the bottom. An inset in image #2 shows how the top surface had suffered from use.

This ashtray was severely rusted, though inexpensive, so I bought it as an opportunity to experiment with reviving cast iron pieces with this faux copper finish. This finish is easily removed with abrasive approaches like steel wool or even my go to generally non-destructive metal scrubbing pad. Instead, I first filled the ashtray with Mobile 1 motor oil and left it to sit for several months. After that, I poured the oil out and used a small nylon brush with stiff bristles to gently scrub the interior and then repeated the entire process a couple of times. In the second image, I include a thumbnail of the "un-restored" interior. This is not a restoration, just an attempt to arrest and de-emphasized the rust damage.

There are lots of sites which discuss the symbolism of the use of the phoenix in Japanese art and I am attaching a link to one:

https://japanesemythology.wordpress.com/tag/phoenix/