Paper Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Vintage French jewellery containers with decorative ceramic lids by Mithé Espelt (circa 1970s). Flower and Bird motifs decorate these five delightful, diminutive wooden boxes. Two of the ceramic lids have golden craqueleur boundaries encircling the inner decoration. The containers would be an attractive grouping on the surface of a vanity or dressing table. Alternatively, they might simply be suitable as a splendid decorative display in the home. The pieces are in good overall condition with some minor natural differences in the colour of the woods. The overall charm is undeniable and they are real collector's items. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying the listing. Upon request, a video will be provided. About the artist: Born in 1923 in Lunel, in the South of France, Mithé Espelt grew up in a family of affluent winegrowers and was very close to her grandfather who passed on his love for the arts and brought her into contact with major intellectuals and artists of the time. She rubbed shoulders with Jean Hugo, Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Christian Bérard and many others. She graduated from the Beaux-Arts school in Montpellier in 1942, and then studied at the Fontcarrade school where she took a special interest in ceramics. She began by designing buttons for fashion houses in Paris, before managing the entire production of buttons and jewellery at the Lydia Chartier workshop and collaborating with Line Vautrin, amongst others. At the end of the war, she returned to her native south, opened her studio and took advantage of the growing excitement around ceramics, particularly those from the town of Vallauris. To stand out and sustain the workshop business, she started designing gilded jewellery...

A stunning camel bone, ebony and metal inlaid sadeli work box with portable writing desk, Bombay, circa 1850. The sandalwood body of faceted rec...

A wonderful hand-painted papier-mâché box beautifully decorated in a blue and gold. Kashmir, India, circa turn of the century.

A lovely antique English mahogany campaign style travel desk / writing slope box with beautifully aged warm rich patina. circa 1825 Commonly used by military officers in the field, ...

Early 19th century Pollard oak Campaign writing slope or lap desk This is a very rare piece, it is a Campaign writing slope is made in Pollard Oak and bound in brass, it is an ex...

This top quality Russian black lacquered papier mâché box has an extremely fine hand painted central panel to its lid with a medieval scene set amongst a landscape with a castle and ...

Signed and Dated 1961 USSR From our Boxes collection, we are delighted to offer this unusual Russian Papier Mache Box. The box of slim rectangula...

A black paper mache box with the portrait of Tsarina Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II , the last tsar of Russia this box is from the early 1900 10.5 x 6.2 cm, heigth 3 cm

An exceptionally fine quality example of an early 19th century burr wood campaign writing slope, in beautifully grained burl, with polished brass inlaid, of French origin. Opening to...

Intricately inlaid vintage Damascus box with hinged lid in hardwood, sandalwood, ebony, and camel bone. The box features a geometric inlaid field over fiv...

English zebra wood military campaign writing desk with brass bound molded edges, original recessed side handles, fitted leather interior with tooling and retains the original crystal ink wells...

19th century brass bound mahogany writing slope circa 1890. Good quality brass bound box slope made in mahogany.  Inscribed brass plaque shows that this was presented to a mr james ...