Rosewood Urn Cigarette Holder

A rosewood urn on a square base, its turned band inset with silver discs set at alternating levels, this cigarette holder is a small sculptural object that turns a repeated silver dot into a rhythmic ring around the wood. It is recorded in Phyllis Goddard's field guide, and a 1961 Spratling catalog lists it at $12.80.

The alternating silver discs are the playful, sophisticated dots Spratling used so widely on wood (Morrill, p. 73), the metal set against the warm rosewood in his characteristic material pairing (Morrill, p. 224). The urn form on a square base gives the small object architectural presence.

It was exhibited at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles in September 1965, one of the venues of "The World of William Spratling" traveling show, where it was priced at $25 (Morrill, p. 77).