Description

1930’S TENNIS BALL ASHTRAY BY ROANOID FOR ROXON

An iconic 1930’s Art Deco ashtray designed for Dunlop Rubber as a sports promotion.

Near-spherical ashtray, translucent green marbled urea formaldehyde on a black Bakelite base base. From the top section three hinged cigarette rests can be folded outwards. The base is flat and is weighted inside so the ashtray can stand.

• This ashtray is often known as the tennis ball because of its shape – and also as it was designed for Dunlop (celebrated for their top-class tennis rackets), These were issued as a special sports promotion – seems strange today that smoking paraphernalia was associated with sports.
• The arms slide out from the centre as shown in my photographs.
• It is now quite rare to find an example in such lovely condition – these bakelite “tennis ball” ashtrays date from about 1935 and are considered design classics.
• The bottom half is black Bakelite and the top is a mottled phenolic plastic in an attractive green colour ,the base and the arms with slide-out made from black bakelite.