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Salvador Dali Air India Limited Edition Ashtray 1968 - RARE - HARD TO FIND
Sno - Ashtray on back has 589 as the serial no
Back in 1968, Air India commissioned Spanish surrealist maestro Salvador Dalí to design an ashtray for its first-class passengers. Flying in the 1960s was nothing like what it is today; it was a privilege enjoyed by the swish set, who were treated to on-board amenities sourced from luxury brands, and enjoyed fine dining along with the best of wines.In 1968, keeping in mind the luxury to be afforded to flyers, Air India got Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali to design an ashtray exclusively for the airline. The story may sound unbelievable, but it is arguably one of the best collaborations of all times when Dali accepted the proposal and created 500 limited edition ashtrays for the company’s first class international flyers.
Size - The ashtray is approximately 4" x 3" across and 2 1/2" tall. Ashtray is mostly unglazed porceline with a glazed serpent around the lip of the ashtray.
Appearance - The ashtray is composed of a shell-shaped centre with a serpent twined around its perimeter. It is supported by two surrealist elephant-heads and a swan. These supports are based on Dali´s double-image effect. The master explains: "The reflection of an elephant´s head looks like a swan and the reflection of a swan appears to be an elephant. This is what I have done for the ashtray. The swan up-side-down becomes an elephant´s head and the elephant inverted - a swan."
It is the first time that an artist of such world stature has designed an "objet d´art" for an airline. And we at Air-India are honoured and delighted to be able to present this most unusual ashtray to you.
The ashtray revealed a double image': the body of the ashtray shaped like the operculum of a shell is embraced by a serpent inspired by one of Gala's bracelets; the same one she is wearing in the portrait "Galarina", that her lover had made for her in 1945. The sculpture stands on three surrealist legs, on one side is an elephant head flanked on each side by a swan. It was in 1930 that Dali began developing his "discovery of the double image' effect through a paranoia critical method' by which, without the slightest figurative modification to its anatomy, an object can take on an entirely different appearance." The Swan-Elephant ashtray illustrates how the shadow and shapes of the elephant can easily be taken for those of the swan and vice-versa. So the inverted swan becomes an elephant and the elephant head when inverted becomes a swan.
Dali's Commision for making the surreal Ashtray - Salvador Dali designed a surrealist ashtray for Air India in 1967 and asked for an elephant as payment, Air India flew a two-year-old elephant from Bangalore, accompanied by a mahout (keeper), to Geneva. The elephant (Big Baby) was trucked to Cadaqués, cleared through customs . The mahout then guided the elephant to Dali’s house, the Elephant was walked up to a glass stage, where the bewildered villagers danced around him in celebration.“
The mayor of Cadaqués declared three days of holiday to celebrate the arrival of the elephant. There was a special parade that was organised at the plaza and a special drink that was prepared with wine and Indian tea, and pink champagne (Dali’s favourite) was served. An Indian astrologer was flown from Bombay to take part in the festivities.“
