Lot #85: vintage MCM "COUROC" TRAY "Celebrity Golf"

"COUROC" (Monterey California) COMPANY HISTORY: Founded in 1948 by Guthrie Courvoisier and wife Moira Wallace. From 1934, Courvoisier ran Courvoisier Galleries in San Francisco. When Walt Disney premiered 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' in 1937, Courvoisier saw opportunity, and in 1938 he secured exclusive rights to market the original animation art. In 1942, the Gallery closed to produce plastic parts for military aircraft. Courvoisier’s wartime efforts provided valuable experience working with plastics. After the war, he developed a proprietary formula of phenolic resin, resistant to alcohol, boiling water, cigs burns, and durable enough to form into trays and bowls. Courvoisier’s wife, Moira (an artist, who launched her first solo show in 1927) became chief designer for Couroc, and developed the inlay techniques. The materials for inlay were locally sourced from the rugged Monterey coast, and included wood, metal, shell, coins, coral, seaweed, plant matter, and crystals. Each piece is unique, as the inlays were all set by hand, making no two exactly alike. The company line was “any tray can serve a drink, but only Couroc can start a conversation.” Dimensions: 12.5" x 9.5" Pickup category timeslot {A}