Need Help Identifying This

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 04:45 PM

Hi everyone! With the amount of resources on this board, I decided to turn here and ask for your help. I need assistance in identifying from where this item comes. It's an ashtray and the logo is MT on the front. It's brass and copper. It isn't from Masonic Temple. I was thinking Majestic Theater. It is OLD. Thanks, in advance, for your help.

Attachment 728

Attachment 729

Lorax · April-20-09, 04:49 PM

It looks as though it was from the Michigan Theatre. I vaguely remember the design when antiquing years ago and saw the logo on other ash stands from that theatre. Could be wrong, but it's an educated guess!

**Ed Golick** · April-20-09, 05:30 PM

Mr. T???

**Ray1936** · April-20-09, 05:45 PM

Wherever it came from, it's a nice piece. I like it.

Retroit · April-20-09, 05:54 PM

Did someone polish the brass off of it?

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 05:55 PM

I really like it, too. Unfortunately, it's going up on Ebay [[I'm listing it for someone). I originally thought it was from the Masonic but was corrected and removed the listing so I could do some more investigative work. Maybe it won't sell and I can keep it

The more I think about it, the more it does look like it comes from the Michigan Theater [[by looking at old photos of the Michigan, it seems like it would fit in there).

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 05:57 PM

No, the brass isn't polished off, it just hasn't been cleaned in forever and is mighty dingy.

**Detroitnerd** · April-20-09, 06:01 PM

Is that an ashtray? Is it just me or does that look like ... a spittoon? In which case, it would be mighty old.

"Toreadora,
Don't spit on the floora,
Use the cuspidora,
That's what it's for-a."

**gnome** · April-20-09, 06:01 PM

before you list it, you should contact Gistok...he has a friend who might make you an offer.

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 06:07 PM

I thought it looked "spitoon-ish", too...but I don't think it's tall enough for that. Some short people would have had to be spitting in the thing. It's just shy of 17 inches tall.

Retroit · April-20-09, 06:07 PM

I'm not an expert, but it appears to me that someone has destroyed the value of this piece by "cleaning the dinge" [[i.e. patina) right off of it.

Lorax · April-20-09, 06:13 PM

How much do you need for it? If it goes to Ebay, let us know.

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 06:16 PM

It is how it came to us. We haven't cleaned it at all. If it does end up going on Ebay, I'll post it here. I have no idea what we might get for it...or even how much it's worth. Any ideas?

Buy American · April-20-09, 06:19 PM

If you clean it the value will depreciate. Leave it the way it is.

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 06:20 PM

I am so NOT cleaning anything...

I don't want to clean the stuff I DO have to clean!

Lorax · April-20-09, 06:29 PM

How tall is it? The diameter? Is it fairly heavy, perhaps weighted?

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 06:32 PM

It's about 16 3/4 inches tall. Diameter at the top is 10 3/4 inches. I would say it's roughly 7-8 pounds...could be more, could be a bit less.

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 06:36 PM

The brassy color [[it's not heavy enough to be brass) tray on top does come out...it would make a mighty nifty umbrella stand [[which is what I would use it for, if it were going to take up residence here).

Retroit · April-20-09, 07:18 PM

Pictures can be deceiving, so I reserve the right to take back everything I'm about to say, but:

It appears that what we are looking at is a copper vase with a cast bronze decoration soldered [[gray tin & lead) on. It probably had a brass finish covering the copper and solder and probably the bronze. It appears that all the brass was polished/cleaned off. The copper and bronze appears very shiny for so old a piece, and I can't imagine the artist would have left all that solder so visible.

**Neilr** · April-20-09, 08:10 PM

There are two retired firemen, Norm & Joe, who have a neat antique store on Michigan Ave, Junque Shop Antiques. Why don't you take it in and let lhem take a look at it?

**DetroitTeacher** · April-20-09, 08:53 PM

Welllll...Norm is my dad. I got this nifty piece from them. They've had it quite a while and were given the wrong info on its history [[dad blames it all on Joe)...

Since they have the technological experience of a jellyfish, I am left to figure out the mystery of this thing. I do know that they haven't done any work to it, it kind of just sat around for the longest time...

**Jimaz** · April-20-09, 09:18 PM

HAHAHA! That was funny.

**irish_mafia** · April-20-09, 10:05 PM

ok, lets start the auction....twenty bucks....do I hear better?

Lorax · April-20-09, 10:21 PM

I'm in for 75.

**KarmicCurse** · April-21-09, 01:59 AM

There's a forumer by the name of Gistok who's an expert on the theaters. You could email him. If that ashtray is from the Michigan Theater he might recognize it.

It's very nice looking. Evocative of its time.