Paul Manship and the Fine Art of Smoking
by Bob Mueller
In light of public opinion today, with its focus on health issues and antismoking legislation, one finds it hard to recall a time when cigarettes and other tobacco products were the “in” thing. For nearly three-quarters of the twentieth century, smoking was considered a glamorous and sophisticated habit, readily embraced by a willing public. In literature and film, lighting up was commonplace; entire scenes focused around the lead characters having a cigarette or on images of the wealthy and powerful gathered in private quarters for brandy and cigars. No group was excluded, and works by many period artists portrayed people smoking at all levels of society. The sculptor Paul Manship (1885 - 1966), himself an avid cigar aficionado, over a span of thirty-one years created more than a score of bronze dishes for use as ashtrays. These small utilitarian works are among his most deftly modeled, and are highly sought after by collectors today. Essentially created for the sheer joy of sculpting, they were given as gifts to friends on birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions. Societal acceptance of the habit even resulted in two commissioned works.
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