Antique Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Cigarette Case

This beautiful antique case is not terribly exotic, but it is a stunning example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship.

Tobacco was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, when Spanish traders brought it back from the Americas. But tobacco use stretches back over 12,000 years, for those enlightened peoples! Christopher Columbus was the first to comment on the practice when he visited Cuba on his fateful voyage across the Atlantic (he ridiculed the 'boys' he saw fall under its spell - it has been argued that he may have seen some other type of smoking substance, during that particular visit) and the rest, as they say, is history. By the early-1600s, pipes were found all over Europe and England and the tobacco habit took hold very quickly. The first cigarettes are said to have been made by workers in Seville in the late-16th century, who rolled tobacco into scraps of paper. It wasn't until the 18th century, however, that cigarette paper was developed. Those first hand-rolled cigarettes, although convenient, were exceedingly fragile. It wasn't uncommon for workers to have a pocket-full of tobacco and some crumpled paper scraps when they wanted their fix. Soon, wooden boxes were being carried around, containing pre-rolled cigarettes. The first manufactured cigarettes appeared in England in the mid-18th century, but the dilemma was the same - fragile packs resulting in crumpled cigarettes. This was simply inconceivable for the gentlemen of the age. It wasn't long before the cigarette case became an essential accessory for the casual smoker, and not long after that before they became a fashion status symbol. Crafted of every material imaginable - from alabaster and ivory to wood and even solid gold, they became big business in a society where men smoked as much as the factories in which they worked. By the 19th century, their designs had all been fairly similar, with cigarette papers all being about 7cm in length.
Our piece shows some common design elements of the cigarette case. The shape is rounded, so as not to snag any material in one's coat or pant pocket. One side is curved in order to nestle nicely against one's leg, when in the pant pocket. On the interior, 2 elastic or metal pieces were used to keep the cigarettes on their respective sides, further ensuring they remained rolled and proper, when called upon. When cigarettes were eventually manufactured, en masse, this size was standard to ensure any case could be used for any cigarette. The cigarette case became a valuable accessory and the more valuable the material, the more sought-after the piece. Although gold and jewel-encrusted pieces were reserved for royalty and the social elite, sterling silver cases became very popular among the upper-middle class and these were often given as treasured gifts and kept for decades.
Our piece isn't perfect, but has aged beautifully. It was crafted by a well-known silversmith by the name of William Aitken of Eagle Works, 78 Summer Row, Birmingham, England, in 1909. Very rarely do we find any specifics to silversmiths from over a century ago, but so prolific was this particular craftsman that there is a surviving quote from his marketing material... His motto was 'Nothing is too large; nothing is too small.' It was even said that: 'It is an impossibility to mention any article which can be made in silver that is not in the stock of this maker.' The man knew his silver and his market very well. Our case closes tightly and although the edges don't meet up quite perfectly, it is in very good condition. The interior is missing the elastic bands that would keep the cigarettes in place, but they rarely survive the century since they were last used. It is adorned, on both sides, with a beautiful art nouveau design of ivy leaves, with a handsome shield on the front, in which the initials and date "GJC 1910" have been engraved when, presumably, this stunning case was originally gifted. The interior is beautifully gold-gilded and remains untouched and although I prefer silver that has well-earned patina, this piece was in very poor condition when I found it. As such, I had to clean some significant stains off the surface. It now gleams as it once did 115 years ago. It would be a beautiful addition to any tobacciana collection.
It measures just shy of 9cm by just over 6cm and about 1.5cm thick, weighing 67.5 grams.

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