Ashtray

Glazed ceramic ashtray of irregular oval shape, with a high rim on which are placed modelled figures representing two seated Chinese men. The object was treated in a sculptural manner, it depicts a genre scene, the figures sit casually as if they were portrayed during a conversation; they are facing each other and maintain eye contact. Men dressed in two-piece, loose-fitting shirts (tunics) and trousers, combed in a distinctive manner. The ashtray is colourfully glazed, the bowl is dark red. The object originates from China and dates to the last quarter of the 19th century.