Mid-Century French Brass Ashtray on Black Lacquered Wire Stand, circa 1950

Floor-standing ashtray comprising a copper-toned brass bowl mounted on an elegant conical shaft formed of radiating black lacquered wire rods on a tripod base. French work, circa 1950. W. 24 × D. 24 × H. 53.5 cm. Ref. 50's-20163.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Dimensions en CM 24 x 24 x 53.5 cm
Dimensions en INCH 9.45 x 9.45 x 21.06 inch
Période 1940–1950
Style Mid-Century Modern
Matériaux Brass

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

This floor-standing ashtray brings together two contrasting materials with great elegance: a shaft formed of black lacquered metal wire rods assembled in a fan arrangement along a conical line — recalling a stylised torch or bundle of reeds — and a generously proportioned circular brass bowl in a warm copper tone. The tripod base, its three branches radiating diagonally from a junction ring, provides balanced stability while coherently extending the graphic play of the shaft's wire construction.

The radiating wire form is a characteristic stylistic signature of France in the years 1945 to 1955, a period when designers and ironworkers sought to visually lighten furniture and objects by substituting a lattice of wires for solid metal, creating volumes that were simultaneously solid and airy. This aesthetic, strongly present in bistro furniture and decorative objects of the Reconstruction era, now enjoys a marked renewed interest among mid-century design collectors.

The floor-standing ashtray occupied a place of honour in bourgeois interiors of the 1940s and 1960s, placed in the drawing room or study, inviting repose and conversation. Its height of 53.5 cm — designed to be used standing or seated in an armchair — reflects a precise ergonomics in service of comfortable living. Beyond its function, this piece constitutes a small interior sculpture in its own right, whose graphic silhouette animates a space with quiet authority.

In fine condition, the brass bowl displays a natural patina and the wire lacquer is intact. A piece of real character from post-war French design, as decorative in a contemporary interior as in a resolutely vintage setting.

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