Purple Luster and Gold Porcelain Table Lighter and Cigarette Holder Set This vintage ceramic smoking set consists of a table lighter and slant-rim cigarette holder in a puffy ribbed shape with painted gold and purple luster vertical stripes on white. The set has somewhat of an Art Deco appearance but it was probably made in the late 1940s to early 1950s. The lighter is 4-1/4" high, the cigarette holder is 3" tall at the back.

There are no chips, flakes, cracks or other damage to the porcelain and the lighter will work fine once fluid is added. There is little if any wear to the purple luster paint or gold trim. The brass lighter insert isn't marked anywhere, nor are the ceramic pieces.

Circa: 1940s - 1950s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Unsigned  

Yellowstone National Park Souvenir Cigarette Lighter This brushed chrome cigarette lighter was a souvenir of Yellowstone Park in the 1960s. Raised copper colored metal script lettering on the cover reads "Yellowstone Nat'l Park". The underside is marked "Supreme Korea". The chrome case has some very light use wear, nothing noticeable. The wick is intact and the lighter sparks fine. I have not filled it with lighter fluid for safety in shipping reasons but that's all it needs.

Circa: 1960s
Country of Origin: KR
Manufacturer: Supreme  

Kitschy 60s Stained Glass Birds Ashtrays Mint in Box This 1960s pair of glass ashtrays appear to never have been used. They come in their original box that says they were made in Japan for S.S. Kresge stores. The 4" diameter ash trays have metallic foil reverse designs of stylized Op-Art partridge-type birds with flowers in shades of blue, green, and yellow. The foiled backs are protected with green flocking which also protect your tabletops. Both are in excellent condition, the box is good too with an ink mark crossing out the printed price and a pen-tip puncture in the same spot.

Circa: 1960s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: SS Kresge  

Stardust Hotel Las Vegas Black Amethyst Glass Ashtray This vintage black glass advertising ashtray belonged to my father. It's from the famous and fabulously retro, now defunct Stardust Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. About 3-1/2" diameter by 1-1/4" deep, it has "Stardust Hotel, World's Finest Resort Hotel" printed in white 3 times around the outside in that terrific Sputnik Eames lettering style. When you hold the ash tray up to strong light, you can see that the black glass is really black amethyst with a definite purple tint. Excellent condition, strong graphics, no chips or cracks, just a couple of minor straw marks in the glass from manufacture.

Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Stardust Hotel Casino  

Lefton 1940s Swan Ashtray Trinket Dish Applied Roses I believe this 1940s Lefton swan was originally marketed as an ashtray. It's so feminine and pretty with its colorful applied porcelain roses, leaves, and tiny flowers that it would make a perfect trinket, ring, or pin dish for a lady's dresser or vanity. The excellent quality swan is 3-1/2" long and in perfect condition - no chips or nicks to the delicate flowers and leaves, and the gold trim is completely intact. The underside bears an early red Lefton China Made in Japan mark.

Circa: 1940s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Lefton China  

Hotel Fort Kearney Nebraska Green Glass Match Stand Ashtray An interesting Depression era green glass match holder ashtray with advertising and painted decoration made by Diamond Match. The ashtray is from Hotel Fort Kearney in Kearney, Nebraska as lettered inside around the match stand. The underside is painted black, probably to better show the lettering, and the outside and rim have red and yellow rings or stripes. The underside is embossed with Pat. App. For and D.M. Co. which stands for Diamond Match Company.

There is a bruise chip on the lower outside edge, shown in the second photo. The lettering is worn at the H and O in Hotel, and the E and Y in the second Kearney. Hotel Fort Kearney closed permanently 35 years ago.

Circa: 1920s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: D.M. Co. Diamond Match  

Antique Vienna Meerschaum Pipe Case, Empty This empty antique box is a case for a Meerschaum pipe set. It's covered with textured green leatherette paper and has a fancy brass hinged clasp. The inside is lined with padded charcoal velvet. The inner lid has a red fabric label banner with "Genuine Vienna Meerschaum Finest Quality" in gold lettering.

The interior of the box is in wonderful condition with no damage. There's some edge wear to the paper covering on the outside of the box as shown and the gold gilt border trim on the cover is worn. The box measures 6-1/4" by 4" by 1-3/4" deep.

Circa: 1900 - 1920
Country of Origin: AT
 

Occupied Japan Indian in Canoe Ceramic Ashtray This vintage hand painted ceramic figural ashtray has a red stamped Made in Occupied Japan mark on the underside. It depicts a shirtless Indian brave riding in a canoe. It's 4-1/2" long by 1-1/2" wide by 2-1/4" high. There a couple of minor scratches to the paint, the most noticeable being to the Indian's left pants knee. Otherwise the ash tray is in very good vintage condition.

Circa: 1946 - 1951
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Occupied Japan Era Import  

Craftsman Copper Cigarette Box with Horse Head A solid copper cigarette box made by Craftsman Company (also known as Craftsman Studios) of Los Angeles and Laguna Beach, California, circa 1930s to early 1940s. The box measures 4-1/4" by 3-1/4" by one inch deep, with the hinged lid overhanging the box a bit on all sides. Embossed in high relief on the lid is an image of a horse head.

The box has a spotty patina and was lightly polished at some point. It's in good condition with no dents or scratches. The underside is marked with the hammer and anvil logo "Hand Made, Craftsman Co." and numbered 503.

Circa: 1940
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Craftsman Co.  

French Hospital 1963 San Francisco Ashtray This vintage ceramic souvenir ashtray was probably made to commemorate the grand opening of the new medical center complex at the French Hospital in San Francisco. The clover shaped 4" ash tray has a painted image of the hospital and grounds as it appeared in 1963 and is titled and dated as such. The ashtray looks brand new with paint and gold trim intact, no damage or wear. The original red and gold foil label reading 'Efcco Imports San Francisco Made In Japan" is on the underside. See my other items for another ashtray with an image of the same hospital as it appeared in 1894.

Circa: 1963
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Efcco Imports  

Craftsman Mission Arts and Crafts Copper Silent Butler This hammered copper silent butler or crumb catcher was made by Craftsman Studios of Laguna Beach and Los Angeles California. The tool marks on the lid resemble a rose, the lower tab of the curled thumb catch is arrowhead shaped. About 6" diameter by 9-1/2" long from the handle. The patina shows signs of past polishing to the lid and body but the handle retains its original patina. The inside shows signs of use. The inside of the lid is marked "Hand Made Craftsman Co. 546" with the hammer and anvil logo.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Craftsman Co.  

Craftsmen Inc Craftsman Studios Hammered Arrowhead Silent Butler Crumber One of many styles of copper silent butlers, crumbers, or ash receivers made by the former Craftsman Studios, this one under their Craftsmen Inc. mark. It's a much less common design for them, with a hinged split lid and raised arrowhead motif thumb catch. The lid is hand hammered and crimped, the handle is smooth with folded seams. My pictures make it look darker and spottier than it really is.

The butler is 5-1/4" diameter by 1-3/8" high by 8-1/4" wide including handle. The underside is marked with the hammer and anvil Craftsmen Inc. logo and numbered 544.

Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Craftsmen Craftsman Studios  

Rectangular Wood Handled Copper Silent Butler By Craftsmen Inc. Craftsman A well-used, unusual style of copper silent butler or crumber by the former Craftsman Studios under their Craftsmen Inc. mark. It looks like it started out as one of their rectangular hinged-lid copper boxes, with an added handle and curled thumb catch. The butler measures 7-1/4" by 3/3/4" by 1" deep.

The hammered copper surface has considerable patina which is spotty, and some spots of light verdigris. The inside was painted black but the paint has worn and scratched quite a bit. The 4" wooden handle has a noticeable nick, and the curled thumb catch is bent. It sounds much worse than it looks though - it has the right look and the right amount of age wear to fit in well with Craftsman or Mission decor. Marked on the underside with the hammer and anvil logo "Craftsmen Inc. Hand Made" and numbered 531.

Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Craftsmen Crafftsman Studios  

Hasko Set of Canape Trays and Crystal Ashtrays in Original Box This boxed Hasko Deluxe Canape Trays set is from the 1940s - patent numbers on the backs of the trays date to 1941. Inside the box are four bridge, cocktail, buffet or tea trays and four oblong crystal ashtrays. The trays are wood covered with woodgrain paper with multi-color wildflower bouquet decorations in the centers. They measure 10-3/4" by 5". The heavy glass ashtrays are 5" by 2-1/2".

One tray was damaged by tape used to hold the box together. A little piece of the flower graphic near the edge of the tray lifted up when the tape was removed, but I trimmed the piece of tape and put it back on the tray. The others, and the ashtrays, are in excellent condition with no damage. The box has two tears between the window and the lower side flap, which was why it was taped.

Circa: 1940s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Hasko  

Craftsman Hammered Copper Silent Butler I believe a person could start a collection based solely on the different shapes and forms of silent butlers (also called crumbers or ash receivers) made by Craftsman Studios of California. This one is a smaller form, about 9 inches long from the curved handle to the rim. The rounded 5-1/2" octagonal shaped cover has random hammer marks, the bowl is a crimped flower petal shape with folded corners.

The underside of the lid is marked with the hammer and anvil logo "Hand Made, Craftsman Co." and numbered 545. No one has ever been able to accurately date all the various Craftsman marks but based on my own experience and research as a Craftsman collector for over 20 years, I'd say this piece dates to the 1940s.

The copper could use a light cleaning but the butler is in very good condition otherwise, with some very minor scuffing at one corner. My photos make the coloring appear slightly brassy but the coloring is actually very nice with a muted, somewhat multi-hued appearance.

Circa: 1940s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Craftsman Co.  

Set 2 Early American Prescut EAPC Crystal Ashtrays Two thick, heavy crystal ash trays in the Early American Prescut, Star of David, or EAPC pattern by Anchor Hocking. The larger one is 8" diameter, the other is 5-1/4". Both are in excellent, crystal clear condition with no damage or cloudiness.

Circa: 1960s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Anchor Hocking Glass Co.