Missouri Small Metal Tray Souvenir

MID-AMERICA + THE PLAINS. 
Home Decor, Decorative Tray / Ashtray, Souvenir, c. 1950. 

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 souvenirs of trips taken / sights-seen and certainly given as gifts to family and friends. Many of these trays have come to us with a string loop tied to the top rim indicating they were hung about as decorations, perhaps even on Christmas trees during the season. 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 and notable details, Missouri’s pulling together a wide array of symbols: a mule head, perhaps as a tip to the state’s agriculture, a leaping fish for its outdoor recreation, the state capitol building in Jefferson City, and a common decorative element found on these trays: an Indian chief in full headdress. Outside of the location of St. Louis and Kansas City, few depicted details seem close to their actual location. But this hardly matters on the whimsically wide map of the “Show Me” state on the inset of the small tray, with Mark Twain’s boyhood home in Hannibal, Bagnell Dam across the Osage (thereby creating the Lake of the Ozarks), and many other outdoor recreation sites also depicted. 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 15-20 years following the Second World War. They have become markers for valuable vintage memorabilia. [CONDITION: Used Good. We really want to say “Used Very Good,” and would do so if only considering the wide inset map, which shows only slight wear of the tray’s plating. But the upper left corner came to us bent (which we have managed to mostly mend), the rest of the rim showing a dulling of both the plating and colored details. One fun final note is the name “Albert” etched in cursive on the tray’s back.] 

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