Vintage Italian Mother-in-Law Ceramic Ashtray

Italian family relations, immortalized in ceramics.

This vintage hand-painted ceramic ashtray features the wonderfully dark Italian phrase:

“La vipera che morsicò mia suocera morì avvelenata.”
Translation: “The viper that bit my mother-in-law died of poisoning.”

A petite cream-colored dish with black hand-painted lettering, leafy border and four cigarette rests around the scalloped rim. Equal parts folk art, souvenir and extremely specific family commentary.

There is a faint maker’s mark on the underside, though I can’t confidently identify the pottery from the mark alone.

Use it traditionally as an ashtray, or give it a second life as a trinket dish, catchall, or tiny piece of wall-worthy Italian humor.

Details:
Vintage Italian ceramic ashtray
Hand-painted decoration and lettering
Cream and black palette
Four cigarette rests
Humorous Italian mother-in-law saying
Faint maker’s mark to underside
Vintage condition with light wear and crazing consistent with age

For anyone whose family group chat could use subtitles.