Edgar Brandt "Polar Bear" Ashtray

This exquisite Edgar Brandt "Polar Bear" Ashtray features the profile of the animal atop an octagonal dish, with each divot meant to hold a cigarette. Polar bears became a popular motif during the 1920s during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, whereby numerous expeditions were launched to reach the South Pole. The end of the age was largely considered to be 1922 whereby British hero Sir Shackleton passed away on his way back to England. Polar Bear and Penguin motifs entered the oeuvre of both Galle and Brandt in the 1920s as citizens across Europe once again became fascinated with the exotic animals of the last frontier.