Cambridge Ebony With Gold No. 388 - Set of 6 Personal 2 1/2" Ashtrays

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This elegant set of personal sized black glass with gilding ashtrays is quite a rare find! I have not been … Read more This elegant set of personal sized black glass with gilding ashtrays is quite a rare find! I have not been able to find another single ashtray like these, much less a set of six. The highly reflective black glass is circled with gold around the top rim and accented in the rest dips. The bottoms have the molded mark of C in a triangle. Please note that the only colors present in the glass of these ashtrays are black and gold. Because they have a shiny mirror finish, you will see reflections of other colors in the black areas of the pictures.

Thanks to the information published online by the The National Cambridge Collectors organization, I have been able to learn a little of the history of these items.

Smoking of dried tobacco was popular during much of the twentieth century and many glass companies, including the Cambridge Glass Company, cashed in on the habit by making and selling a wide range of ash trays, cigarette boxes and other types of holders, tobacco jars and humidors.

In a 1926 publication, Cambridge declared these new ash trays. sturdy, plain and competent is made in four sizes. That year they were only available in Amber Glo or Emerald colors. During the second half of the 1930s Cambridge used a series of brochures, covering the various lines. The smoker's Items brochure gave color and pricing information where it states that the no. 387 and no. 388 ashtrays were offered in the colors of Crystal, Amber, Emerald, Dianthus Pink, Forest Green, Royal Blue and Ebony.

According to Colors in Cambridge Glass the 1922 Ebony "is a sparkling black of very high density that will show deep amethyst, red or shades of brown when held to a strong light." The ebony color was only popular during the 1920's and 30's. with production dropping off after that. See less