19th C. Russian Wood Cigarette Case - Golden Thread Antiques

19th Century Russian Burl Wood Cigarette Case

Date: late 19th C.
Size: 4 3/8" long by 3 1/8" wide by 5/8" deep
This is a most amazing object, very elegant and well-crafted. The case is made from only two pieces of exquisite burl wood, perhaps maple or some other exotic light-colored wood from Russia. The box is carved from one piece of wood as is the lid. The dovetail hinge and edges of the lid fit together so perfectly that when closed, the case appears seamless. There are no straight lines when the box is closed, only soft rounded edges, making the case very pleasing to hold in the hands. The handle of the lid is elegantly curved, barely emerging from the edge, a subtle yet very functional design element which integrates beautifully with the design of the case. The hinge is so masterfully crafted and somewhat mysterious—the dovetailing between the lid and the box is as perfect and expertly crafted as it can be, clearly made by a master wood worker, and appears to be held together by hidden wire pins at each end, as there are two tiny filled pin holes at each end, barely visible to the naked eye. The entire surface of the case, both inside and out, is continuous, with the lovely burl wood grain visible throughout. This was obviously made for and used by someone of very discriminating and refined taste and sensibilities—not an object made for the common market, but rather made for the upper class. This would make a wonderful gift for that someone who loves to smoke for the pleasure of it and has very refined and discriminating taste. I recently saw a picture in a 2005 antiqes price guide of a very similarly made one, only with added silver and gemstone detailing on the handle, which was attributed to one of the Faberge craftsmen and identified as a snuff box (the hinge was on the long side). The wood and craftsmanship was identical to this one. It was priced at $3,000 - $4,000!

Item #wdcigcase
—SOLD—

	19th C. Russian Burl Wood Cigarette Case






	19th Century Russian Burl Wood Cigarette Case Date: late 19th C. Size: 4 3/8" long by 3 1/8" wide by 5/8" deep This is a most amazing object, very elegant and well-crafted. The case is made from only two pieces of exquisite burl wood, perhaps maple or some other exotic light-colored wood from Russia. The box is carved from one piece of wood as is the lid. The dovetail hinge and edges of the lid fit together so perfectly that when closed, the case appears seamless. There are no straight lines when the box is closed, only soft rounded edges, making the case very pleasing to hold in the hands. The handle of the lid is elegantly curved, barely emerging from the edge, a subtle yet very functional design element which integrates beautifully with the design of the case. The hinge is so masterfully crafted and somewhat mysterious—the dovetailing between the lid and the box is as perfect and expertly crafted as it can be, clearly made by a master wood worker, and appears to be held together by hidden wire pins at each end, as there are two tiny filled pin holes at each end, barely visible to the naked eye. The entire surface of the case, both inside and out, is continuous, with the lovely burl wood grain visible throughout. This was obviously made for and used by someone of very discriminating and refined taste and sensibilities—not an object made for the common market, but rather made for the upper class. This would make a wonderful gift for that someone who loves to smoke for the pleasure of it and has very refined and discriminating taste. I recently saw a picture in a 2005 antiqes price guide of a very similarly made one, only with added silver and gemstone detailing on the handle, which was attributed to one of the Faberge craftsmen and identified as a snuff box (the hinge was on the long side). The wood and craftsmanship was identical to this one. It was priced at $3,000 - $4,000! Item #wdcigcase —SOLD—