Description

1930’S TENNIS BALL ASHTRAY BY ROANOID FOR ROXON

A striking and highly collectible 1930s Art Deco “Tennis Ball” Ashtray by Roanoid for Roxon, created as a distinctive sports promotion associated with Dunlop Rubber, one of the celebrated names in British tennis equipment.

Its unusual near-spherical form gives the piece its popular nickname, “Tennis Ball Ashtray.” The upper section is crafted in an attractive translucent green marbled phenolic plastic, contrasting beautifully with the deep black Bakelite lower section and articulated cigarette rests. The three black Bakelite arms extend outward from the centre to provide individual cigarette rests and can be folded back when not in use, giving the ashtray an ingenious and compact design.

The weighted flat base allows it to sit securely on a table, while the combination of sculptural form, bold geometric detailing and contrasting materials reflects the distinctive character of British Art Deco design of the 1930s.

The underside is marked “ROXON – MADE IN ENGLAND,” adding an important element of provenance to this unusual vintage piece.

Today, these early Bakelite and phenolic-plastic “Tennis Ball” ashtrays are sought after by collectors of Art Deco design, Bakelite, vintage smoking accessories and sporting memorabilia. Their association with tennis makes the piece particularly fascinating—a charming reminder of an era when sporting promotions and smoking culture could appear together in ways that seem unusual today.

This is a particularly appealing example, with its vivid green marbled finish, sculptural black Bakelite components and ingenious sliding/folding cigarette rests.

A Little Nostalgia

In the 1930s, advertising and product promotion could be wonderfully imaginative. A tennis-themed ashtray seems almost unexpected today, yet this piece captures that fascinating period when sport, design and everyday smoking culture were closely intertwined.

Shaped like a tennis ball and associated with Dunlop, it would have made an eye-catching conversation piece on a desk, games-room table or gentleman’s smoking table. The clever three-arm mechanism adds another layer of ingenuity—simply slide or fold the black Bakelite rests outward and the little “tennis ball” transforms into a functional ashtray.

More than an ashtray, it is a small piece of 1930s British social and design history, preserved in a form that still feels remarkably modern and playful.

Condition

Good vintage condition commensurate with age, with attractive signs of age and use. The green phenolic body retains its distinctive marbled appearance, while the black Bakelite components show the character expected from an original piece of this period. There is a visible hairline/crack to the upper rim, as shown in the photographs. The cigarette-rest mechanism is present and the three arms slide/fold outward as designed.

Please study the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Collector’s Note

An unusual and increasingly difficult-to-find example of 1930s British Art Deco Bakelite/phenolic design, combining sporting history, industrial plastics and vintage tobacciana in one highly distinctive object.

A wonderful display piece for collectors of Bakelite, Roanoid, Art Deco, British design, sporting memorabilia and vintage smoking accessories.