Diné (Navajo) Sterling Silver Stamped Ashtray [SOLD]

When tourists began coming to the Southwest, native artists made a variety of objects to sell as souvenirs. Along with jewelry, silversmiths made boxes, spoons, letter openers, ashtrays and other things they thought tourists would want to buy. The tendency to make objects other than jewelry has declined in recent years, making these "tourist pieces" very collectible. This ashtray is a wonderful example of one of these collectible items.

The Diné artist has used stamp work to create a lace-like design along the rim with a floral motif in the center. It is a lovely piece that is very collectible from a time period when smoking was in fashion. Owning a silver ashtray from the Southwest simply set you apart from the crowd—and from a collector's standpoint, we think it still does.