Cave of the Mounds Wisconsin Small Metal Tray / Ashtray Souvenir

THE MIDWEST. 
Home Decor, Decorative Tray / Ashtray, Souvenir, c. 1950s. 

These small metal trinket trays / ashtrays (which incorporated tell-tale cigarette rest notches) were very popular for a run of years following World War II. Sold in souvenir shops across America and Canada when smoking was still very much a mainstream habit, these trays, each with a specific regional connection, were bought as memorabilia of trips taken / sights-seen and certainly given as gifts to family and friends. The trays were mass-produced by way of intricate custom molds, be it a state or a site, with the finished piece lightly hand-painted to pull out details unique to each tray. The rim would contain the title, this tray featuring “Cave of the Mounds” along the top, “Wisconsin” on the lower half, the sides ringed of decorative floral details. These site-specific trays focused on notable site scenes. Having been discovered in 1939 by mining engineers blasting for a quarry on the Bingham dairy farm just west of the state capital of Madison (and as a result being a relatively new American cave site), the wondrous subterranean geology of the cave, including rich deposits of manganese and calcite, has been a popular tourism destination ever since. As with all the small trays in this souvenir series, it bears the mark: “Made in Japan.” This will seem curious considering the violent events of the early-mid 20th century. Here is a bit more background … Following Japan’s surrender in September 1945 ending World War II, Japan was a military occupied country. This continued until the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952 returned national sovereignty to the island nation. Once international trade was allowed to resume in 1947, the General Headquarters of the Allied Forces (GHQ a mostly American military government charged with running the conquered nation) mandated that export items carry the label: “Made in Occupied Japan.” The directive was updated in 1949 for use minus the word “Occupied.” As a result these two labels “Made in Occupied Japan” and “Made in Japan” (often just “Japan”) can be dated with specificity to the 15 years following the Second World War. They have become markers for valuable vintage memorabilia. [This tray is in fine condition for its age. There is the rare missed paint stroke on its lower half (most trays well painted, if mass-produced) + some very stubborn and by now 60+ year old masking-tape residue on the back (which we have not tried to remove, lest it peal the metal plating). But overall, this white-gold plated tray is still looking just fine.] 

Condition: Used Good. 
Local / Regional Attractions. 
Dimensions: 5” wide x 3.5” high x 0.25” deep / 4 oz