Ashtray thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Ashtray

mid 20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Hard-paste porcelain ashtray with decoration of a coat of arms printed in gold on the well, showing a cock standing on a mound, surmounted by three stars and beneath the words "Sans Sonci". The words "Restaurant" and "Roma" are printed above and below the arms.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain with printed decoration in gold
Brief description
Ashtray, hard-paste porcelain with printed decoration in gold, made by Richard Ginori, Italy, mid 20th century.
Physical description
Hard-paste porcelain ashtray with decoration of a coat of arms printed in gold on the well, showing a cock standing on a mound, surmounted by three stars and beneath the words "Sans Sonci". The words "Restaurant" and "Roma" are printed above and below the arms.
Dimensions
  • Length: 10.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Richard Ginori / Porcellana / Italy' (Printed in underglaze blue)
Credit line
Given by Mr Eduardo Paolozzi
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Frescobaldi Malenchini, Livia ed. With Balleri, Rita and Rucellai, Oliva, ‘Amici di Doccia Quaderni, Numero VII, 2013, The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection’, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze, 2014 p. 128, Cat. 118 118. Ashtray with coat-of-arms for the Sans Souci restaurant in Rome 1960-1980 Richard-Ginori “Ariston” porcelain with decal decoration in black and gold 10x10 cm on the back a blue stamp with a snake and crown and two stars, “RICHARD-GINORI/ PORCELLANA ARISTON/ ITALY/ 81 R” inv. C.8-1981 gift: Mr Eduardo Paolozzi This ashtray, which was given to the museum by the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi, is an example of the Ginori industrial production made for the Sans Souci restaurant in Rome. The name of the restaurant is written like a motto on the ribbon under the coat-of-arms. Specially ordered porcelain objects decorated with decals with publicity for hotels, cafés, and coffee houses were first made at Ginori in the second half of the 19th century. Since then the company has continued to develop a range of products with shapes and weights especially designed for this type of clientele (CHIOSTRINI MANNINI 2005, p. 26-27, 71-76; CASPRINI 2007, p. 85-86,MURONI 2011, p. 150 fig. 7 and 156 fig. 17). In the early 1960s, for this purpose they developed a type of stoneware ceramic that was particularly resistant to breakage, scratching and machine washing which was identified with the brand name of “Ariston” porcelain (AMD, arm. 5, palch. 4, Brochures of the 1940s,1950s, brochure Porcellana Ariston) and was used to make this ashtray. O.R. Bibliography: unpublished
Collection
Accession number
C.8-1981

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Record createdOctober 10, 2008
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