Mid-Century Hand-Painted Ceramic Pheasant Ashtray

This item is a circular collector's ashtray featuring a prominent hand-painted male ring-necked pheasant motif on a cream-colored glazed ceramic ground. The piece is constructed with a thick, rounded lip finished in a vibrant terracotta or burnt orange glaze. The central illustration depicts a pheasant in profile with realistic detailing, including a dark iridescent head with a red eye patch, a white neck ring, scalloped brown plumage, and a long, vertically-oriented tail with dark barring. The bird is perched on minimalist, tan-colored branches that extend toward the bottom and top of the basin. At the bottom of the dish, there are three molded rectangular indentations designed as cigarette rests. The overall style is characteristic of Mid-Century Modern sporting or lodge-style decorative arts, likely dating from the 1950s to 1970s. The glaze appears bright and reflective, suggesting high-quality vitreous application, though fine surface crazing may be present upon closer inspection. Condition appears good with no significant visible chips or cracks from this angle; however, light shelf wear on the unglazed base would be expected for an item of this age. The craftsmanship displays skilled freehand brushwork rather than a simple decal application, adding to its value as a piece of decorative pottery.