Nippon Ashtray
20th Century Egyptian Ashtrays
Ash, Porcelain
People Also Browsed
Late 20th Century Figurative Sculptures
Other
Antique 19th Century European Grand Tour Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
Antique 1790s Egyptian Figurative Sculptures
Marble
20th Century Italian Figurative Sculptures
Alabaster
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Bowls
Crystal, Bronze
Vintage 1920s Figurative Sculptures
Onyx, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Egyptian Revival Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Figurative Sculptures
Stucco
Vintage 1970s Modern Figurative Sculptures
Bronze, Steel
Antique Mid-19th Century English Egyptian Revival Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
20th Century Egyptian Vases
Porcelain
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Decorative Bowls
Stone, Bronze
Antique Late 18th Century Figurative Sculptures
Stone
Finding the Right ashtrays for You
Once a near-universal tabletop accessory, many antique, new and vintage ashtrays have taken on an entirely new purpose in today’s homes.
Whereas these formerly ubiquitous objects were associated with smoking, drinking, gambling and other vices, a well-designed and interesting ashtray is a candy dish, coaster or cocktail garnish receptacle in today’s interiors. But don’t discount its initial function. Amid your carefully curated coastal chic California decor, for example, a stone ashtray can help you manage the ashes that accumulate while you’re burning your morning incense. Old glass ashtrays, which are quite popular and easily found in free-form, organic shapes, can be a purely decorative final touch when styling a coffee table, whether you’ve filled it with wrapped lemon-drop candies or not.
In the postwar years, the democratization of luxury led to an explosion in the number of well-designed ashtrays, and there are many mid-century modern ashtrays to choose from on 1stDibs. (It’s no coincidence that sculptor Isamu Noguchi devised his “Dymaxion” version, which he hoped would make him rich, in 1945. Alas, it turned out to be too difficult to mass-produce.) The design collection of the Museum of Modern Art includes ashtrays by Carlo Scarpa (Murano glass, 1950–59); Achille Castiglioni (stainless steel with spring-like inserts, 1970); Masayuki Kurokawa (rubber and steel, 1973) and more. Smoking declined in popularity in the 1970s and ’80s, after the surgeon general’s warning began appearing on cigarette packs, but designers were still crafting ashtrays through the end of the century (especially outside the United States).
On 1stDibs, browse a collection of antique, new and vintage ashtrays that includes everything from modern and minimalist cigar ashtrays to outwardly ornate Art Deco ashtrays that evoke the opulence and elegance of the 1920s.