Just sharing, cloisonné ashtray 1891-1919

Picked this up today just in case I ever start to smoke. actually I didn’t know what it was used for till I got home and reversed imaged it. At just 1.75”H 3”W the top will spin 360 degrees.

 

Is a cool looking item. Are you sure it’s that old? That ‘China’ makes me wonder.

 

Just had alook now,these sell for good money. All noted as antique. And yours does look somewhat older than some of the others on offer. A few marked China. Anyway nice buy.

 

about the cost of a Starbucks they didn’t know what is was either.

Thanks for looking. From what I generally have known about the plain mark “CHINA”

https://www.gotheborg.com/qa/madeinchina.shtml

 

Were the proper older/vintage/antique ones not stamped ‘China’ like (just wondering)
https://estatesales.org/online-auctions/vintage-chinese-cloisonne-ashtray-match-103323367

This one for example looks to me to be in near prefect condition showing almost no one age (like it was made last week)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155981597456

 

not sure what you mean. The one you list here is marked “CHINA”?

US Laws change, consistently I would imagine(Don’t know the laws in UK?). So currently to be honest I am not up to date on the requirements. Additionally it can be hard to see age based on appearance only. Some items get consistent use while others can sit atop a table relatively untouched for years. The second one you show may have had its brass polished from time to time, back when?

here is another link to aid (note a different year, 1914).
https://elizabethappraisals.com/how-to-date-a-made-in-________-antique/

 

Thanks. I was just wondering if there’s a difference between the ones stamped ‘China’ and the ones written in sloppy free hand ‘China’. These things are always very attractive and desirable and so widely copied/reproduced now (according to what I read)

 

ah yes, I see what you are saying. I am not sure of the answer and perhaps someone here can elaborate on that further. My own thoughts would be the impression stamp or font belongs to a more mass manufacturer as opposed to hand written being a more localized productions. But again, that’s just my novice passing thought.

 

Sorry I wasn’t being very clear. Anyway your thoughts are probably correct and that makes sense. I really don’t know myself (just thinking/wondering and trying to learn)

Again it’s a very nice attractive item and a great buy

 

The use of the CHINA stamp in capital block letters (often seen on brass works as well) is pretty well documented up until 1950 when most trade with China ceased. I assume there was an earlier period that required the Made in designation but I do not know when that ended. I don't know how much the laws requiring the Made in designation were enforced. It seems it was most important on porcelain wares where competition with American factories was a consideration. Just based on my personal experience, it seems the majority of the things marked CHINA, are 20s-50.