Bidspirit auction | A Collection of Mid-Century Japanese

A Collection of Mid-Century Japanese Novelty Ceramics Including Clown Whiskey Barrel Decanters - This collection of mid-century ceramic novelty barware and tobacciana was manufactured in Japan for the American market, primarily between the 1940s and 1960s. The group is composed of glazed earthenware items featuring the humorous and gag-gift themes popular during the period. Included in the collection is a pair of clown figures seated on barrels, identified through market consensus as clown whiskey barrel decanters. These figures feature hand-painted cold paint over the glaze and include a removable top hat that serves as a stopper. Also present is a square-shouldered novelty bottle with a stopper, decorated with a brown and tan drip-style glaze and a relief figure of a man. This bottle retains several original paper labels with text including Name Yer Poison, Jungle Juice, and El Stinko. The base is incised with the number 3064 and bears a red Made in Japan sticker. The assortment further includes a pipe-form ashtray with a bowl molded into a face, finished in a dark brown high-gloss glaze with hand-painted accents. The base of the ashtray retains a foil label for Levin, Pittsburgh, PA. A foot-form ashtray or vase is included, featuring a black high-gloss glaze, red-painted toenails, and gold-tone accents, with a Made in Japan stamp on the base. The collection is completed by a set of three miniature earthenware mugs with a uniform dark brown high-gloss glaze. Approximate dimensions: Clown decanters 7 inches height; Novelty bottle 6.5 inches height; Foot ashtray 4 inches height; Pipe ashtray 3 inches height; Miniature mugs 1.5 inches height. Pickup is Wednesday, April 22 from 10 am to 3 pm at our gallery in Lancaster, Ohio 43130 or we will provide in-house shipping for this item. We will charge a $5 fee if you want to pick this lot up another day. Once packed up we will send you an invoice for shipping & handling. Shipping questions: shipping@burnsbid.com. Sales tax is collected on this auction.