Ray Gun Vase

All the source material for this jar was taken from real toy ray guns; many bought from eBay spanning four years.

  • Space Jet Ray Gun. Space Jet Ray Gun Original toy: Japanese lithographed tin ‘Space Jet’ ray gun pistol from 1965 marked “KO, Japan” Yoshiya product, flint action.
  • Space Control Ray Gun. Original toy: Early 1950s Japanese lithographed tin space gun, made by TN, (Norma) Japan. A very small tin gun manufactured for the export market.
  • Space Cadet Gun. Original toy: Made by Lewtan in the 1950s. Die cut printed cardboard called a ‘One Shot Toy’, sold for advertising purposes; in this case, Esso. The gun is fired with a flick of the wrist, causing a sheet of folded paper inside the gun to pop as it snaps.
  • Razor Ray Gun. Original toy: Friction sparking ‘Razer Ray Gun’. The space gun is a classic design made in Hong Kong in the 1960s.
  • Stingray Cap Gun. Original toy: ‘Sting Ray’ Space Ranger cap-gun with fins. Press button popup sight die cast metal, made by LoneStar in England in the 1950s.
  • Flash Gordon Signal Pistol. Original toy: The best ray gun there is, heavy and loud. A perfect toy gun, made by Marx 1935 in the U.S.

Hand coiled Staffordshire Earthenware, painted with slips and glazed with a transparent high gloss glaze to 1120°C oxidation firing.