Just having a moment with this Peter Max/Genuine China by Iroquois ashtray. There is perhaps nothing I love more than mixing our beautiful
SoulMakes creations with special vintage pieces. Genuine China by Iroquois was a pottery and ceramics company founded in the early 1900s in Syracuse, New York. Their factory closed down in the late 60's, but not before doing a run of ashtrays and dishware featuring original Peter Max artwork. I'm a huge fan of Peter Max's early work, it has such an iconic look, totally defining a generation past. A generation of long hair, peace, love and flowers. It kind of epitomizes the free love era in my mind.
I saw this stunning ashtray at an antique mall near my house and instantly knew I had to have it. I'm a bit particular with my vintage and thrift finds, I like them to be authentic and inexpensive ;) These days, there is a huge resurgence of furniture and home decor from the mid century period. A lot of styles are being brought back to life, which I think is amazing. But I personally prefer relics of the past. So the first thing I do is flip over the ashtray to see where it's made and what kind of branding it may have. I was happy to find the "genuine china by iroquois syracuse new york" stamp!
A quick tip: when trying to date an item or generally verify it's authenticity, it's good to note that during the 60's and 70's much of our glassware, ceramics, etc was made in Japan. So if it says "Made in Japan" that's a good sign that it's as old as it looks. Also, branding as we know it today was not all too common in those days. Most items did not boast the company's name on the product or packaging. That didn't start till 80's and really the 90's. How do I know all this? I am in a constant state of wandering through antique malls and thrift stores. I don't buy nearly as much as I see. I take it all in like a sponge and make simple observations. In doing so, I'll notice what items are more rare and what items were mass produced back in the day. Simply by their presence in these places, some things I see a hundred times over from antique shop to antique shop, obviously this means it's not so rare. Also, google.
Styled with:
Loads of beautiful crystals
White Sage Smudge Wand
Agate Slab Candle
Sodalite Therapy Stone
