Ashtray
ca.1935 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Near-spherical ashtray, translucent green marbled urea formaldehyde on a black Bakelite base base. From the top section three hinged cigarette rests can be folded outwards. The base is flat and is weighted inside so the ashtray can stand.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Compression-moulded urea formaldehyde, compression-moulded Bakelite, lead |
| Brief description | Spherical ashtray, urea formaldehyde; designed by Robert Conroy Robertson for Roanoid/Roxon. England, Birmingham, about 1935 |
| Physical description | Near-spherical ashtray, translucent green marbled urea formaldehyde on a black Bakelite base base. From the top section three hinged cigarette rests can be folded outwards. The base is flat and is weighted inside so the ashtray can stand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Fred Bulmer, a collector based in Leeds, Yorkshire, offered his collection of ‘plastic antiques’ to the V&A in late 1982. The Museum chose to purchase 59 objects from Bulmer the following year (for acquisition papers see MA/1/B3395). The objects were divided among the Museum’s collections according to object type: Furniture and Woodwork taking 26 objects (W.50 to 75-1983), Metalwork 18 objects (M.49 to 66-1984) and Ceramics and Glass 14 objects (C.41 to 54-1984). |
| Historical context | Ashtrays such as this were made as promotional items for the sports division of the Dunlop Rubber Company. From this association they earned the nickname 'Tennis Ball Ashtrays'. They were produced in several different colours, including white and pink. |
| Association | |
| Bibliographic reference | p. 122
Andrea DiNoto, Art Plastic (New York, 1984) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.54-1984 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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