Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Unusual Artifacts: A Shagreen Cigarette Case, 1879



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Cigarette Case
Shagreen, metal and silk
France, 1879
The Victoria & Albert Museum


With the fashion of smoking on the rise for gentlemen at the end of the Nineteenth Century, jewelers created luxurious cigarette cases. Usually, these were made of precious metals, but sometimes, a case would be covered in an unusual material. This case was made of shagreen (sharkskin) which has been artificially colored. The case is lined with purple watered silk. It was made in France for sale at Howell and James’ shop in Regent Square, London. 

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