Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The Museum Year 2009

The Year

Art of the Americas: July 2008–June 2009

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Ashtray

designed about 1927; made 1927–1931
Designed by Donald Deskey
Manufactured by Deskey-Vollmer, Inc.
Overall: 8.57 x 10.16 x 5.08 cm (3 3/8 x 4 x 2 in.)
Chrome-plated metal

Classification: Decorative arts

Object Place: New York, New York

Accession number: 2008.1417

Description: The ashtray is composed as a pyramid of three inverted, triangular boxes. Two sit flush, side by side. The third sits atop the meeting point of the other two, forming a tower. A semicircle is cut out of the exterior edge of one of the lower boxes.

Provenance/Ownership History: Early history unknown; by 1985, owned by Alan Moss (dealer), New York, New York; 1985, sold by Alan Moss to John Axelrod, Boston, Massachusetts; 2008, given by John Axelrod to the MFA (Accession Date: December 17, 2008)

The John Axelrod Collection