This piece has an unquestionable pedigree – it was made by my husband in about 1958 in his 2nd grade art class. The story goes that Steve was struggling to get an idea for his project, and the kid next to him had made a small flat ashtray. So Steve started to mold his piece in a similar fashion, and when the kid accused him of “copying,” he said “Uh-uh, mine’s a pencil holder!” and he made a square tower to plunk down on top of the base, then poked a hole in the top to prove his point. Its blue glaze and sturdy white base (admittedly, with indentations suitable for holding cigarettes) make it a colorful piece, and the history makes it priceless. return to gallery 1 home