Wyoming Small Metal Tray / Ashtray Souvenir

MOUNTAIN WEST. 
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 and notable details, Wyoming containing two world famous landmarks from its most known Nat’l Park, Yellowstone: the awe-inspiring falls and the Old Faithful geyser; there is also the state capitol building far to the south in Cheyenne and one final detail: a grizzly bear. In addition, there are the usual clusters of place names all across the state map that makes up the core of the tray, these wrapped around a standard set of embossed illustrative highlights: a buffalo, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Devil’s Tower in the northeast corner of the state, and the then common inclusion for western states of an Indian chief in headdress. Perhaps the oddest thing of them all is a group of penguins. This, of course, represents the stuffed Emperor Penguin who has long been the mascot of “Little America,” its humble beginnings as a rural fueling stop soon engulfed by the massive tourist stop-over and truck-stop that it would become. 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. [Used Very Good: Though there is some wearing along the right-hand side of the rim, the tray itself is in very good condition with hardly any of the usual age-related wear that is common with trays this old. The only real mark to note is someone having attempted to stencil their name in the back. Aside from that, under a light the front still shines, a white gold plating with color flourishes atop the embossed illustrative highlights.] 

* (Wyoming Voyager patch not included, for size comparison only.) 

Condition: Used Very Good. 
Local / Regional Areas. 
Dimensions: 4.75” wide x 3.5” high x 0.25” deep / 4 oz