This month’s blast from the past takes us to a different time and place: a 19th Century royal court or perhaps the home of a prosperous merchant who has the wherewithal to enjoy handmade, quality cigars from faraway places. 
It’s a cigar presentation box that might have sat on a side table or perhaps brought in on a dessert tray by a server to complete an elegant meal.
This particular one was made in Austria around 1860 and held eight cigars in individual holders; four on each side. To open it, you moved the lever on the right side of the device and the two sides would open, revealing the cigars.
A smoker would take one, then use the mouth of the otherwise decorative lion on the front to cut off a small piece of the top of the cigar, which dropped into the shell below the lion’s mouth. There’s even a striker panel on the side for lighting a match for use to start the cigar.
These were common household accouterments for the wealthy in the 19th Century and dozens of different models were produced. Some incorporated a music box and played when one of the sides was opened. This one just looked good!
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 )
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