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Adorable!

I used to have one of those, but I thought it was a hedgehog, when I was growing up in Russia. I didn't know it was an ashtray at the time (no one in my family smoked) I just thought it was really cute. A matryoshka-doll of sorts, except spiky. It made me smile that in the North American interpretation it's now a porcupine. I wonder which it's really supposed to be?

My Mom had one of those when I was a kid growing up in Eastern Europe. I absolutely *adored* it. Don't know where she got it from, but chances are it was made somewhere in the Eastern Bloc. (Baltics? Czechoslovakia?). I gotta say, the idea is not completely dissimilar from that of Russian nesting dolls.

Does Michelle know the provenance of her piece?

I need to ask Mom where she bought hers. I think she probably still has it, too.

NadyaN, we posted around the same time - and noted nearly the same things)) And yes, we called ours hedgehog, too.

Are you kidding me?! omg I NEED this. Too, too cute for words.

This is a Walter Bosse hedgehog ashtray; you can find them on eBay.

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, surrounded by an ashtray that is either a porcupine or a hedgehog...

That's the cutest ashtray I have ever seen.

But now I must stress that the word 'video' is not a verb. Please.

Nadya, the American posting this video probably called it a porcupine because there are no cute little hedgehogs native to the US. We have big old porcupines. I'm guessing that Beatrix Potter was not among his childhood books.

It's adorable. Too cute for ashes.

beyond cool. christ, now I gotta take up smoking.

This is a Walter Bosse hedgehog ashtray; you can find them on eBay.

And they start at only $150 US! Bargain! Or should I say not even remotely a bargain!

Grrrr. I wish I had $150 to spend on cool ashtrays.

That is so cute. I can't believe I watched that video, but it sure made me smile.

Try www.bosse.at

For those non-german speakers (as I'm sure there are a lot of you!), you can change the language settings. It's the bosse foundation in Vienna. There is no hedgehog listed, but maybe if you contact the company they can send you one for less than you would find on eBay (they sell sculptures for 45 euros)

Oooh, love/want/thought-I-needed.
But on Australian ebay -- AUD$240 -- ouch!
Checking out bosse.at as I type (thanks for the link!)
$$$ aside, this is great design and gave several minutes' pleasure looking at it -- thanks!

I have this, found it for 40 sek (4 dollars) at a thrift store maybe one or two years ago, it has been on constant display on our coffeetable since the day I found it and everyone that visits comments it and plays with it.

oh my god sooo cuuute!i love it!i want it even if i don't smoke!!!!i leave you this web you might be interesting in it! www.tecnitasa.info

Yes...that sure is a hedgehog! A porcupine would be much bigger.

Does anyone actually smoke inside their homes anymore? gross. Cute ashtray though.

if you have ever seen a porcupine and a hedgehog you would know this is a hedgehog. porcupines arent cute. so smoking is cool again?

That is quite obviously a hedgehog! I've seen both and this is definitely a hedgie.

Also, I could not agree more with msjessiemeghan.

This cute little hedgie is a great decorative object/coffee table toy and doesn't need to be filled with carcinogenic tar to be useful. :)

amazing? really?

it amazes me that one little object can bring so much joy..

dam cute.

Joyful little fella, that porcupine. But I can't stand cigarettes and worse, the ashes from them! I hope that happier things might be sprinklered on him.

Thanks for the great post and all the comments! I did know the provenance, it was a gift from my friend Nick who was amazing taste... we looked it up and saw a few on ebay. My husband and I don't smoke at all but we love this little guy. He makes me happy!

From another Eastern European gal - what fun to see something of our own on AT:) My dad is a hedgehog-lover, so of course there's one like this in our home.

i bought one of these for a guy i was dating after i accidentally broke his prized moroccan ashtray. so cute, it almost made me condone the habit! i got his at hisforhome.com, and i think it was only 60 dollars/30 pounds. keep an eye out for them!

I have one in pale yellow porcelain that says "Made in Italy for Bonwit Teller". It was a gift and I'm very fond of it. Such a cute design!

I bought one in Russia twenty years ago, and was told it was a hedgehog. I still love it.