Art Deco Machine Age Chrome Sphere Smokeless Ashtray c. 1930s View Watchlist >
- Winning Bid: $46.92
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- High Bidder: EstyM
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Lot # D813
System ID # 27993338
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Art Deco Machine Age Chrome Sphere Smokeless Ashtray c. 1930s
A quintessential Machine Age tilt-ball ashtray in the streamlined idiom popularized by American industrial designers such as Walter Von Nessen and the Chase Brass & Copper Co. The polished chromed-steel sphere pivots within a cradle of four swept chrome rod supports, all anchored to a stepped Bakelite base with integrated cigarette rests. A removable metal liner sits within the sphere to catch ash, and the ball rotates to conceal contents — the "smokeless" novelty that defined the form.
Unmarked but consistent with American Art Deco production of the 1930s–1940s. The spherical-on-cradle silhouette remains one of the most recognizable signatures of the period's fascination with industrial geometry, chrome, and modern plastics.
CONDITION
Good vintage condition consistent with age and use. The Bakelite liner/rim shows a crack visible in photos but it does not affect function — the sphere still pivots and seats properly. Chrome retains good reflective surface with light scratches and minor surface wear; Bakelite components display expected patina and minor edge wear.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- 4.75" W x 4" D x 5.5" H
- Materials: Chromed steel sphere and rod supports; Bakelite/phenolic base; removable metal liner
- Period: Art Deco / Machine Age, c. 1930s
- Maker: Unmarked
- Removable liner; pivoting sphere mechanism functional
- Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale
