Octagonal Match Holder Ashtray

An octagonal silver-rimmed ashtray with a central match holder, the holder trimmed top and bottom in copper, this is functional First Design Period holloware that lets a band of warm copper play against the silver at its center. The octagon gives the small object a crisp, deco-leaning geometry.

The mixing of silver with copper for accent is part of the workshop's early material vocabulary, the two metals set in deliberate contrast. Spratling worked in 980 silver, a higher purity than sterling, and marked each design with the joined "WS" (Morrill, p. 39).

With no recorded reference, the ashtray turns on its early date, the condition of the copper trim, and the period hallmark rather than on documented literature.