Historical information

The item dates from the years of Dutch influence in the region which ended in 1962. The region is now known as West Papua.

Significance

As the above urls will show, West Papua's history is a complex one with various colonial powers disputing ownership with the local inhabitants. Modern Indonesia also lays claim to it. The area was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 till 1962. Prior to 1949 it was part of the Dutch East Indies. The item may well date from this pre-1949 period.

Physical description

Richly illustrated small rectangular glass ashtray showing map of one-time Dutch New Guinea, surrounding waters and smaller islands. Two endemic bids are also shown. The glas is a pale blue; the illustrations are in green and yellow; words are in black. The ashtray's four sides are curled slightly upwards.

Inscriptions & markings

Oceans, seas and islands are named in the Dutch language. A dotted border marks off Australian New Guinea.