A nice glass ashtray from Admiral Cruises. This piece is in excellent condition, with only some minor roughness along the mold line. Not terribly old, but an attractive item.

This is a truly delightful ashtray from Adriatica. Entirely hand painted with a charming, albeit abstract image, which appears to be a fish. The outer portion of the circular ashtray has been airbrushed green, and "Adriatica" and "Navigazione" has been over-painted in black. The image alone will suffice to describe this little gem! A couple of small nicks and minor crazing, which are to be expected on low-fired pottery - quite insignificant, however, on such an unusual item. Marked on reverse: Ceramiche De Mori, Grancona (VI). Certainly destined to be a standout in a collection of Italian Line ashtrays!

A very nice ashtray from the Alaska Marine Highway, featuring the line's name and a ship's portrait in dark blue - appropriate as their vessels are affectionately known as the "Blue Canoes" because of their distinctive hull coloring. Some bubbles in the clear glass, as well as very minor roughness at the mold line - certainly manufacturing flaws and not damage.

A wonderful, little ashtray swiped from one of the famous "Blue Canoes" of the Alaska Marine Highway System. The previous owner confessed that she had pocketed this piece in the mid-1960's. Minor roughness along the mold line, otherwise excellent condition.

A neat ashtray from the Alaska Marine Highway System, advertising "Alaska via Auto-Liner." The ashtray features an image of one of the line's "Blue Canoes," and is decorated in teal, yellow, and white. This example is truly in mint condition, exhibiting not a chip, crack, nick, flea bite, or any wear to the applied decoration. Very nice!

Every once in a while an item comes along which truly has character! This is one of the most wonderful ashtrays we have had the privilege to offer in some time. Though many consider the vessels of the Alcoa Steamship Company to be on the outer fringes in the passenger liner category, they nonetheless offered quality accommodations and interesting itineraries. We see with relative frequency the ceramic "pillow" style ashtray, unquestionably inspired by the design of the Swedish American Line examples. Here we have an item that is truly "Alcoa" - a wonderful aluminum ashtray which a designer might recognize is actually a modification of the pillow ashtray with some modern improvements. Five cigarette rests instead of three, and a removable top for easier cleaning. The overall form has been cleverly adapted to the material used. Decorated in the line's red and blue, with logo and the phrase: "Alcoa Sails the Caribbean". This piece would unquestionably be a stand-out in anyone's steamship ashtray collection, as it is truly unique! Condition is wonderful.

The dome or "pillow" design ashtray, made famous by the Swedish American Line - this one in white with stripes and the Alcoa logo in red, green and dark blue. An uncommon piece.

A great, square, glass, four-rest ashtray from American Export Isbrandtsen Lines, featuring the clipper ship logo in dark red. Condition is excellent, with no signs of use or wear.

One more "saucer" ashtray from American Export Isbrandtsen Lines. This one a light turquoise, and in excellent condition, with minimal signs of use or wear. Collect all colors!

A neat, glass ashtray from American Export, featuring the "Clipper" logo in maroon. A nice companion to the cobalt ashtray from the France, this example is in good condition, showing minor wear to the logo, a couple of small "bumps" to the rim, and a few rough spots at the mold line which are typical on these items.

This is a wonderful little piece from American Export - a clear glass "saucer" style ashtray with the maroon "clipper" logo on the bottom. This particular version of the logo is devoid of the word "Lines,"  which appears in script below the clipper ship on some examples. Near mint condition, showing almost no scratches, and no wear to the logo. There are some minute imperfections in the glass itself - not to be considered damage. Simple, but nice!

Not old, but a nice, unused matchbook from the American Mail Line, featuring a profile silhouette of one of their freighters, as well as the line's logo. 2" in width, and just under 2" high. Colorfully illustrated on reverse. A bit of rust on the staple, else excellent.

This is a great ashtray from APL, featuring the image of a "President" liner's funnel in red and blue in the bottom of the bowl. "American President Lines" appears in red text on the outside of the piece as well. This is the first example of this particular design we have seen - very easy to picture this item on board the Wilson or the Cleveland! Condition is excellent.

This is a very attractive ashtray from APL. Basically square in shape, but with angled corners to accommodate the cigarette rest in each. The red, white, and black decal logo applied to the bottom shows no signs of wear, and the piece is in mint condition. A nice find.

A lovely little freeform crystal ashtray from the Bergen Line, etched on the bottom with a portrait of the Meteor. Excellent condition, showing just a bit of wear on the flat base. A nice piece.

An especially nice example of the free-form crystal ashtray from the Bergen Line's Meteor. This piece still bears its "Norsk Krystall" label from the manufacturer. Need we say condition is mint?

A very nice freeform crystal ashtray from the Bergen Line. These are more commonly seen with a portrait of the ship, Meteor, on the bottom. This example features the line flag and name, and does not name a particular vessel. Very nice condition, though showing fine scratches across the bottom where the piece rests.

A wonderful ashtray from Chandris - sky blue glaze on white body, with dark blue lettering: "Chandris America Lines" on the exterior, and the line's house flag on the interior. Near-perfect condition.

An unused book of matches from MS Bohème, saved from a 1974 cruise while the Wallenius Line vessel was sailing under charter to Commodore Cruise Lines. The matchbook advertises both the Bohème and the MS Bolero. Slightly larger than a standard size matchbook. Brightly colored - showing minor wear to the cover. All matches intact and striker panel unused.

A wonderful, aluminum ashtray from Italy's Costa Line. These gold-finished ashtrays are quite attractive, embossed with the line's "C" logo, and noting their Europe to South Central America service. Very nice condition.

Costa's famous blue and yellow funnel ashtray. This example is one of the best we have seen in some time - just a small rough spot on the inner rim, and no cracks, crazing, or major flaws in the glaze application. Very nice!

A great matchbook from Coyle Lines, which operated a tug and barge service on the intracoastal canals between New Orleans and Houston. OK, it's doubtful they ever carried a passenger, but this is an unusual bit of ephemera, and a shipping line they were nonetheless! This is a double-wide book. About 60% of the matches remain, and th4e striker does show signs of use. A neat piece.

A great book of matches, saved from a 1962 westbound crossing on board RMS Queen Mary. A number of these came to us, each with one or two matches removed. Otherwise in excellent condition.

Always a pleasure to find one of these wonderful Art Nouveau-inspired ashtrays from the Cunard Line. We believe the piece to be solid copper, and this example has a wonderful patina - keep the polish away! A light buff with a clean, soft cloth will bring up the shine, if desired. The line's name appears in raised lettering in the bottom of the bowl. Simple, but stylishly elegant!

Occasionally we discover an item that falls into the category of the extraordinarily rare, and this ashtray is one of those! This exceptional piece is an English art deco black and marbled jade phenolic resin (Bakelite) ball ashtray by Roanoid Ltd. of Birmingham England circa 1935. This style of ashtray has come to known colloquially to collectors as the "tennis ball." According to information discovered online, it was initially designed for the Dunlop Rubber Co. as a sports promotion. The ashtray is probably one of the most famous and ingenious pieces of English art deco design, and similar examples were featured in the World of Art Deco Exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 1971 and in practically every art deco exhibit since. Examples were also included in a tour of the United States with the Victoria and Albert Museum "ART DECO 1919-1939" exhibit. The amazing design allows the three cigarette rests to "disappear" within the sphere, reemerging with a light push of a finger at the base of each rest. An extremely rare and desirable piece in its own right, this item is made doubly valuable and collectible by the appearance of the Cunard White Star house flags and the name: "S.S. Lancastria." Those of you familiar with Lancastria's story will know that she was lost to German bombers in 1940, and as this ashtray is, at the earliest, of mid-1930's vintage we can be assured there are few in existence. We can state that we have never seen another (and truly do not expect to!). Quintessential Art Deco. The sphere measures 3½" in diameter. The upper and lower halves screw apart for cleaning. The bottom half is weighted with lead stamped: "Roxon Made In England." The stainless steel fittings within are pristine, and it is obvious that the piece has seen little if any use. The decal decoration is near-perfect, and the ship's name appears below, stamped in gold. It is possible that these ashtrays were used on board, but we feel it more likely that this piece would have been offered for sale in the ship's gift shop as the decal decoration would probably not have survived repeated handling and cleaning. Regardless, a truly unique museum quality piece that is worthy of a place of honor in any steamship memorabilia or Art Deco collection. A note of interest: if one looks closely one can see in form what may have been the inspiration for the well-known Swedish American Line static "pillow" ashtray - a good artist copies but a great artist steals!

This is a neat, cedar-lined cigar box - a souvenir of the Fern Line. The brass box features an etched map of the Pacific on its lid, and illustrates the line's service between the Gulf of Mexico and the Far East. Two house flags appear on the lid: that of Fearnley & Eger and of the Klaveness Line, both of Oslo. We don't know for certain, but surmise that the "Fern Line" might have been a joint operation using the vessels of both companies. Enlighten us if you can! The box is in very good condition with no dents. We have not polished it as it appears that the brass was lacquered to preserve its shine, and it would be best not to disturb the finish. Quite unusual!

The well-known, cobalt ashtray from SS France. These are occasionally referred to as souvenir pin dishes, but we have been informed by a former passenger that these were definitely used on board as ashtrays, which would explain the worn printing found on many of the surviving examples. Due to the manufacturing process, it is nearly impossible to find a "perfect" example of this piece. The casting process  invariably produced a rough mold line, and the method of image application is notorious for its inconsistencies. We will call these examples very good - excellent.

This exquisite, Art Deco piece bears the back stamp: "Poterie de Belle Isle en Mer". A beautifully detailed, glazed compass wheel on brown bisque, with "Cie Gle Transatlantique" at center. This piece was most likely sold aboard Normandie.

A Jadeite ashtray from the French Line, manufactured for the line by S.E.V.N. Guerville. The design of this particular example is quite a bit more unusual than the single rest ashtrays one normally sees, based on the original Jean Luce ashtray designed for Normandie. This piece features two cigarette rests at opposite corners. Printing in maroon, with slight wear to the "French Line" lettering. As always, roughness at the mold line, otherwise excellent.

The well-known "Jadeite" green glass ashtray from CGT, inspired by the original design executed for Normandie by Jean Luce in ceramic. This example is rather unusual in that the applied logo and lettering is dark green, as opposed to the much more common maroon or burgundy. This example is excellent, showing very minor wear to the printed lettering. Marked on the reverse: "Ivorex - France" - a nice one!

A very nice example of the very popular French Line Jadeite ashtray. This example features the somewhat less than common green print. Excellent condition. There appears to have been a bump to one corner, and a small, fine, internal stress crack is visible - this is extremely insignificant, there is no loss of material, and most would not consider it to be worthy of note. Marked: Made in France, S.E.V.N. Guerville.

An absolutely adorable souvenir piece from Santa Paula. A heavy bronze-finished ashtray cast in the shape of a small dinghy with a small boy in a sailor's outfit holding a ship's wheel. A thermometer has been placed at the center of the wheel, and the name "SS Santa Paula" has been engraved on a raised and polished plate in the bowl of the ashtray. Grace line souvenirs are somewhat hard to come by, and a charming piece such as this was truly a treasure to find! The condition is excellent. There is a crease in the casting beneath the boy's left foot, indicating a bump at one time in its history. This does not compromise the integrity of the heavy casting, or detract from its overall appeal. A delightful memento!

A rare and exquisite item from Deutschland. This amazing set consists of a hand-painted enamel-on brass ashtray, and an enameled cigarette holder. We have never seen a similar set, and such a large enamel portrait is quite unusual - especially this in such pristine condition. There is some flaking to the enamel on the cigarette holder, with some of the base metal exposed; however the piece can be displayed with no damage visible, and the extreme rarity of this item renders the defects of minor importance. Certainly an item for the collector who thought he or she had everything!

A great souvenir ashtray from Deutschland, with a portrait of the vessel applied to the reverse. These items are interesting, as it appears that thin slivers of Mother of Pearl have been applied to the white areas of the superstructure, adding a hint of color. The sky and water have been hand painted, and quite unusually, on this example, none has chipped away - though there is a small area separated from the glass at the waterline below the liner's forward mast. These items rarely appear in such excellent condition.

A beautiful souvenir ashtray from Deutschland. This ashtray is done in "paperweight" style, with a decal of the ship's image set before a hand-painted background. The condition is absolutely excellent, and the glass shows no nicks, chips, or damage other than a couple of small bubbles from the manufacturing process. A bit of wear to the paper backing; but even this is minor when compared to similar pieces of this type. The image and background are completely free of flaws.

A lovely, ivory porcelain ashtray from Hapag, bearing the lines anchor logo, in gold, at center. This is a delicately sculpted piece, with raised, fish scale detailing on the rim. There is some wear to the logo and the gilt trim, indicating that the piece has indeed seen some use. Still a lovely item.

The famous funnel ashtray from HAPAG. Bavarian Bayreuth pottery, this is one of the most popular HAPAG souvenirs of the period, and prompted other shipping lines to produce similar items. This example is excellent, with no chips or cracks.

A magnificent and early souvenir ashtray from the Nieuw Amsterdam. This fabulous, hand-painted piece features a somewhat folk art-looking portrait of the ship in the bowl. Fine crazing overall, which is to be expected - the ashtray has been used, but shows only the faintest hint of tobacco staining. We have not previously seen an example of this item, and consider it to be exceptionally rare - a wonderful memento from the much-beloved Nieuw Amsterdam.

A fine example from the Rotterdam V! This is a beautiful, Delft ashtray, featuring a very nice portrait of the NASM flagship. Condition is excellent, showing fine crazing overall - quite typical of this pottery, and not considered detrimental. The hand-painted decoration on the three-rest rim is lovely. A great example!

A near-mint condition example of the famous Zenith Gouda ashtray from Holland-America. These delightful Art Deco pieces could very well date as early as the late 1930's, when the Nieuw Amsterdam logo first appeared. A nice opportunity for one of you to add this increasingly hard-to-find item to your collection!

A beautiful ashtray from Holland-America. This piece is entirely hand decorated in Delft blue, and features the famous "Nieuw Amsterdam" company crest. The maker's mark on the reverse appears to be Schoonhavn, Holland. Condition is excellent - there are two or three very tiny and fine lines of crazing in the bowl, nearly invisible. A wonderful example of this very collectible ashtray.

A beautiful, pale cream- colored ashtray by Royal Sphinx of Maastricht, Holland, with the diamond-shaped NASM logo in the bottom of the bowl. Logo and wide rim band in gold. A beautiful piece, free of nicks, chips, cracks, or crazing.

This is a wonderful set of four ashtrays. We had initially intended to list these as four separate & identical items, until we noticed that each bears a slightly different floral transfer. Manufactured by Heinrich, Bavaria, each piece is marked: "Rotterdam, N.A.S.M." It is possible Rotterdam indicates the ship, however the previous owner could not confirm this. We believe these were most likely sold as a set in the gift shop and not used on board, as they are absolutely pristine. The pattern is identical to china used on board Holland-America vessels in the 1960's, so it is possible these were intentionally "collected" during a voyage!

A very simple, Maastricht ceramic ashtray bearing the Royal Sphinx mark for Holland-America. It is always nice to come across one of these with the lettering intact, as it is often worn. A nice example.

A very attractive, glass ashtray from Holland-America. A rounded triangular shape with three cigarette rests, and the oval "Nieuw Amsterdam" logo on the bottom in white. Condition is excellent, showing some roughness and small nicks along the inner edge. None of these is serious or beyond what one would consider normal signs of use. No wear at all to the logo.

A gorgeous, Bavarian-made ashtray from the Home Lines. This is a slightly more "squat" version of the ashtray made famous by the Swedish American Line. We see these frequently with logos in blue, which tend to be worn. The logos on this example are yellow/gold, and are 100% intact! Condition is excellent, showing only one very small and shallow 3mm flake at the base.

A great ashtray by Schönwald for Hamburg's H. C. Horn (Horn Line). White porcelain with a fine red line. The Horn house flag appears at center. Excellent condition, with no nicks, chips or cracks.