PACIFIC + SOUTHWEST. Home Decor, Decorative Ashtray, Souvenir, c. 1960s.
It seems a shame that the highly-detailed bas relief scene of pioneers (most likely argonauts of the Gold Rush) driving horse-team and canvas-covered Conestoga wagon before a majestic line of high western mountains was inevitably covered in the soot, grime, and ash, of cigarette smokers. A solid piece of metal (made in Japan), this is likely from the 1960s, the western revival font used for CALIFORNIA typical of the souvenir art and advertising that helped stoke American’s mid-century fascination with European-centric expansion across the continent. Our western history has since been made more complete, if slowly, by the inclusion of the histories of native peoples, stewards of the western lands for millennia prior to white expansion, as well as the Mexican / Latin American and heavy Asian influence on America’s far west and California. The craftsmanship of this foundational American Western scene in such a simple piece stands out nonetheless as quintessential storytelling.
Condition: Used Very Good. Local / Regional Areas. Dimensions: 5" wide x 3.75" high x 0.5" deep / 4 oz
