Ashtray - Grande posacenere / svuotatasche scultoreo in onice verde monoblocco - Onyx, Marble

Large ashtray / cigarette holder, sculptural, carved from a single block of green onyx - 4.1 kg - Italy, circa 1960/1970

Rare and imposing vintage Mid-Century Modern ashtray / cigarette holder, entirely cut from a single solid block of precious green onyx. This extraordinary piece of furniture perfectly embodies the glamour and sculptural taste of the 1960s and 1970s, an era when natural onyx became an iconic style feature in the salons of Italian and European upper-middle-class society. The piece stands out for the fascinating contrast of workmanship: the inner basin is finely carved and mirror-polished to enhance the stone’s translucency and spectacular concentric veining, while the outer edges deliberately preserve the rough texture (live edge) and the natural crust of the primitive mineral.

Onyx is not ordinary marble, but a semi-precious silica sedimentary stone celebrated from antiquity for its partial translucency and for the complex mineral growth layers. In this specific specimen, the shades range from aquamarine green and jade green to honey, amber, and rust due to iron oxide inclusions. In the years of economic boom, objects of this size were handmade by master artisans and were considered true status symbols and signs of refinement.

Epoca-era onyx pieces of this kind rarely exceed 10-15 centimeters in diameter. This lot represents a notably rare exceptional case on the collecting market precisely for its extraordinary dimensions and monumental weight:
• Weight: a full 4.100 kg (4.1 kg) of solid stone. External dimensions: approximately 22 x 23 x 23 cm.
• Height: approximately 6 cm.

The item is completely original and presents itself in good vintage condition given its age and the intrinsic delicacy of the material. The stone is structurally solid: there are no cracks running through, no fibers, and no repairs. Only minimal superficial touches and microscopic natural irregularities on the rough edges are noted, elements that do not detract from its beauty but rather certify its authenticity and the nature of a unique, non-reproducible hand-finished piece (see photos). It certainly needs cleaning and, if desired, polishing.

Given the fragile nature and the exceptional weight of the lot, a top-level logistical treatment is guaranteed: Custom packaging: it will be wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap and placed in a sturdy box. This precaution will prevent the 4.1 kg weight from deforming the packaging or moving during shipping, protecting the stone edges from any impact. Shipping will be entrusted exclusively to international express carriers (UPS, DHL or FedEx). The tracking code will be provided at the moment of shipment to monitor the journey in real time. Shipping will be insured.