Dunhill Wood Cigar Box
Late 20th Century Modern Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Wood, Burl
20th Century British Other Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Metal, Silver
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Metal, Silver
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Antique 1890s English Edwardian Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Amboyna
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Opaline Glass, Mahogany
Vintage 1980s Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Sterling Silver
20th Century European Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Wood
Vintage 1950s British Other Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Plexiglass, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Cuban Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Modern Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Chrome
Vintage 1930s French Boxes
Silver
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Bone, Shagreen, Wood
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Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Antique Late 19th Century European Moorish Architectural Elements
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1960s English Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Jewelry Boxes
Leather
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Egyptian Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
2010s American Modern Cabinets
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Grandfather Clocks and Longca...
Malachite, Ormolu
Antique 19th Century English Chinese Chippendale Vitrines
Glass, Mahogany
Vintage 1910s British Edwardian Jewelry Boxes
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary French Hellenistic Figurative Sculptures
Composition
20th Century British Campaign Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Lounge Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Brass
20th Century French Hollywood Regency Sectional Sofas
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Multi-gemstone, Bronze, Enamel
Finding the Right Cigar-boxes for You
Cigars were not always packaged in what we now know as the antique cigar boxes and humidors that have over time become eye-catching decorative objects as well as collector’s items.
Outside the United States, cigar boxes are said to have originated in the 1840s when a German businessman, Hermann Dietrich Upmann of H. Upmann Cigars, bought a cigar factory and opened a bank in Havana, Cuba. Upmann reportedly handed out cedar cigar boxes branded with advertising for the bank as gifts to his banking clients. In the early 1860s, after years of cigars being shipped in big crates or barrels, cigar boxes became a requirement when the United States passed a law that mandated the use of boxes for tobacco producers, which was part of a broader effort to regulate the tobacco industry and generate revenue for the war effort. Humidors, which are moisture-controlled storage boxes that allow a cigar enthusiast to store, organize and preserve a larger collection of cigars, were very popular accessories during the early 1900s onward.
As the use of cigar boxes and humidors became widespread, all kinds of options materialized over the years, with particularly vibrant editions of these decorative objects emerging during the Art Nouveau, mid-century modern and other eras. Visionary designers like Isamu Noguchi popularized the idea of tobacco accessories as art with projects such as his decorative ashtrays.
Today, not unlike antique and vintage ashtrays, cigar boxes are more than practical objects. In fact, there are many uses for an old cigar box even after the cigars are gone. They can be used as planters, tissue boxes or can support your long-delayed effort to organize your sewing and craft supplies. During the Great Depression, an emptied cigar box — perhaps a walnut Art Deco-style cigar box with inlays in bronze and hand-carved decorative geometric patterns adorning its exterior — was occasionally repurposed as a jewelry box.
Antique and vintage cigar boxes — made of wood, metal or other materials — are valuable treasures in some corners of the collecting world, and in your home, they’re exquisite desk ornaments and colorful flourishes to add to your bookcase or mantel. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage cigar boxes and other decorative boxes today.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Cigar boxes can be made of cardboard, paper and several kinds of wood. Spanish cedar is a popular choice for cigar boxes but mahogany, white oak and elm are also common. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique cigar boxes from some of the world’s top sellers.
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