Bidspirit auction | Italian Brass Housefly Lidded Ashtray

Italian Brass Housefly Lidded Ashtray - An Italian cast brass novelty decorative item in the form of a large housefly, designed to function as a lidded container or ashtray. The piece features two large wings hinged at the thorax that lift to reveal a hollow, segmented abdominal interior. The exterior is highly detailed with cast textures, including stippling on the head and thorax, compound eyes, and intricate vein patterns across the wings. The fly is supported by six jointed legs. The construction is of cast brass with a darkened, antiqued patina. The underside of the thorax features an embossed mark in capital letters reading MADE IN ITALY. A partial white adhesive paper label is also present on the underside, bearing a handwritten black X; the remaining characters on this label are not legible. Dimensions: 7 in long.