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Need Help Identifying This Antique Ashtray

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    Posted 12 years ago

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    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!

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    Comments

    1. vetraio50 vetraio50, 12 years ago
      A photo of the back would be helpful to affirm my inclination that what is written there is "Italy". Nice modernist piece.
    2. Unknownashtray, 12 years ago
      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!
    3. vetraio50 vetraio50, 12 years ago
      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!
    4. Unknownashtray, 12 years ago
      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.
    5. vetraio50 vetraio50, 12 years ago
      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


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