Beautiful Art Deco Guilloche Sterling Silver Cigarette Case

This beautiful antique case is not terribly exotic, but it is a stunning piece of art deco design. We will delve into the history of our piece in due time, but first, I'd like to discuss the history of these attractive accessories and their place in tobacciana history.

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 paper 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. By the 20th century, cigarette smoking had become so common-place and so many cigarette manufacturers existed, that it was rare to find an original cigarette packet. These cases became common-place and an attractive accessory to any regular smoker. Their materials and quality, as always, were an indication of the wealth and style of their owner. Brass was most-commonly used, but silver was a beautiful and attractive option for those that could afford it. A silver smoking case, often adorned with an engraving of sentimental greetings or the recipient's initials, was an oft-gifted and treasured present, for those that could afford it.

Our case is just one of those pieces. It is made of beautiful sterling silver, the interior bathed in soft gold-guilt and built of impeccable quality. It closes and opens as if it were brand new, a testament to the quality of the silversmith responsible for its creation. The interior used to hold 2 elastic pieces, to hold cigarettes in place. These are nearly always absent and never in any shape to perform their original duties, having long ago lost their elasticity... amazingly, one of these pieces survives! Made by Frederick Field Ltd of Warstone Lane in Birmingham, in 1936, it is a beautiful example of which made him a famous name, with regards to cigarette cases. It is impeccably built and designed with a tried and perfected method called guilloche. This refers to a pattern of immensely intricate detail, repeated over a surface, using a machine. Early guilloche can be found as far back as the 1600s, with simple turning machines creating attractive pattern in soft materials such as wood or ivory. Some accounts give the credit of developing tightly-packed engraved guilloché decoration to the Nuremberg glass-making dynasty of the Schwanhardt family in the 17th century, using a wheel to engrave the glass. Indeed, magnificent examples can be found on some truly remarkable pieces of enamel jewelry of that era and beyond. However, the appearance of guilloche on precious metals such as silver and gold didn't begin until the 19th century. Machine-turning also found its way into other, more varied industries looking to beautify their metal projects or components. Even early automotive manufacturers used repetitive machine-turning design in their valve covers or dash boards. The most attractive examples however, are still to be found almost exclusively on pieces of jewelry and high-end accessories.
Weighing 92.9g and measuring 8.75cm tall by 7cm wide and 1.25cm thick, it is curved, as was common, to fit snugly against ones body when slipped into a leg or jacket pocket. The blank area remains unmarred and blank, ready for a new owner's initials.
To note, I have cleaned the piece to photograph well, but have purposely left a great deal of the patina on the piece. It is of my belief that patina doesn't detract from the beauty of antique silver, but rather adds to it. Patina can only truly be gained with time and I believe these pieces wear it very well. However, if you'd prefer, I would be happy to clean the piece to it's former, shining glory.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to message me at any time. I'm always happy to respond to messages at my earliest opportunity.

Thank you very much for visiting C&K!