Engine-turned Victorian silver cigar case

Lovely quality antique silver cigar case or cheroot case featuring engine-turned decoration and a central plain round cartouche. The two halves of this beautifully made antique silver box pull apart and make a perfect airtight seal when closed.

Although the function of a silver cigar or cigarette case is to keep the fragile tubes of tobacco from being crushed, smoking cigars has never been a purely utilitarian pursuit. It has long been associated with style and fashion, and since silver was the lightest, strongest and smartest material to craft, silver cigar and cigarette cases quickly became highly decorative personal accessories.

Originally made in leather, using silver or silver-plate gave designers the opportunity to emboss and chase the silver to create everything from delicate floral or geometric patterns to bold designs and personalised engraving of names or initials.  Since smoking was mostly perceived as a masculine pursuit, the majority of silver cigar cases reflect more masculine styling. The interiors of better cases are gilded, sometimes bearing a tender or congratulatory inscription.