Topic: unusual coloured Mdina ashtray.

[Paul S.]

Again not my area at all and bought this for what I assumed was its unusual colour - not remotely what I understood to be Maltese colours - don't recall having seen this 'black' before  -  it does look a bit ugly.             Small quantity of silver chloride trailing has been applied to the underside only.
Despite what I thought initially, it isn't black  -  appears very deep amethyst/purple under strong transmitted light from standard filament bulb, although that changes to deep violet when this is substituted for a long life bulb  -  why, I don't know.
Assume the  06  is the year, although not sure what the 73A means.              Diameter at widest point is a tad over 6" (160mm).
Is it unusual, or are they two a penny?            thanks for looking

[Greg.]

Hi Paul......06 does indeed relate to the year of production. The other letter/numbered code is a little ambiguous as to what it exactly stands for, however, normally refers to the colour or pattern etc. As far as I understand this specific pattern was only used on fairly recent Mdina production. I'm not sure when exactly the Mdina paper labels stopped being used, however, plastic labels are always seen on fairly modern pieces.

The shape, although not the exact same pattern, can still be seen for sale in Mdina's current online shop:
http://www.mdinaglass.com.mt/index.php/default/catalogsearch/result/index/?limit=all&q=ashtray

[Paul S.]

thanks Greg  -  so it's fairly common then, never mind  -  I did once collect Maltese, but lack of space meant that I had to reduce some collecting areas and Mdina was one of those that got the elbow.
This can go back into the charity/thrift shop.

thanks again.

[chriscooper]

Hi Paul, setting myself up to be shot down again here
Whilst being no expert on Mdina though I have bought and sold lots of different glass over the years this is not a colour (amethyst) with silvery blue streaks? that I have seen very often. Unless they have 'revived' this pattern recently I think much earlier.
The one I bought was barrel shaped with a quite distinct script, and while researching only managed to find 2 more examples one a cylinder vase with an 'earlier' paper label and a handmade in Malta sticker....
See this thread....http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,48718.msg274595.html#msg274595
Also a small perfume bottle listed in the States with the earlier label.
Here is the barrel shaped vase is it the same hard to tell from the angle of your photos.

[chopin-liszt]

I was first thinking of that design myself chriscooper - the deep purple, tiny splodges used to create a "black", then the whole piece decorated with a quite distinctive looping band of silver chloride - it's a design I rather like, it's not 10 a penny at all, and these normally come with a paper label,  if you're lucky sometimes with 2 paper labels, one with biro writing on. Your observations on this are absolutely correct.

I don't think this big splodgy design with plastic labels is the same thing at all.

[Paul S.]

Don't mind you being disparaging about my ashtray Sue  -  I don't really like it either.
If you saw my piece in ordinary daylight it would take a lot of convincing that the 'black' wasn't black  -  it really is that intense, and without a hint of purple.          My curiosity was aroused because, although I haven't bought Maltese for a long time, I do see the stuff at various venues and couldn't remember seeing anything that appeared as black as this.          My silver chloride trailing is a little similar to that on the barrel shaped vase, although less extensive, and can be felt as a slightly raised form of decoration, although it's nothing like the 'marvered in' example showing on Mark's cylinder vase.
A date of 2006 I suppose is quite modern - and smoking related pieces never do seem to have much of an appeal anyway.        You're more than welcome to have this one - just to put alongside your older pieces and to provide a comparison with the paper labelled examples - should the need arise.

[chopin-liszt]

I don't smoke any more Paul. 
I went electric last November.
However, the rise of the e-fag might see a rise in the desirability of nice ashtrays!

Your very kind offer is most appreciated, but I'm not needing any examples of things, Michael gets upset when anything new appears (I'm supposed to be getting rid of stuff, not accumulating it) and... I'm a real snob about the plastic labels; my Mdina interest does not extend into that time period.
I already do have one piece. It is utterly horrible. If it were not for the label and the writing on the base, my - and many other Mdina collector's - guts say immediately:
"Contemporary, rubbishy, worst-case-ever-found Chinese." (Ivo's guts though so too, when he saw it.)
I think it is stuffed in the attic. It's basically a small rounded clear glass bottle, with small acidy yellow splodges and fragments of canes on it; with a thick and chunky frilly rim.

[Paul S.]

as you wish ............pity I can't 'bury it in the sand for a thousand years', and come back when it's priceless.
Wouldn't it be just my luck..........mankind does away with smoking, and ephemera like ashtrays suddenly become valuable antiques .