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Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

NAPOLEON III STYLE

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Napoleon III
Table Cigarette Box like lapis lazuli stone enamel on guilloche Salimbeni.
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular with rounded corners table box for cigarettes in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent enamels on a radial guilloché an...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Period Marquetry Cigar Box, Music Box
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This mid nineteenth century French Napoleon III period marquetry cigar presentation box is constructed of rosewood and is marked Cigares on the top in lemon wood inlay. Additional i...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Bronze

Table Box pure gold paillons and fired enamel miniature Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Round table box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fire enamels, with pure gold “paillons” on the upper circle, fine fire enamelled miniature hand painted by the painter Br...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Early 20th century French Wood and Brass Musical Cigar Boxe, 1920s
Located in LEGNY, FR
Magnificent Napoleon III style musical cigar humidor dating from the beginning of the 20th century in lacquered wood and garland of brass beads. A lyre adorns each door. By turning t...
Category

1920s French Vintage Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Brass

19th Century Napoleon III Guillaume Diehl Cigar Boxe
Located in LEGNY, FR
Beautiful Cigar humidor, stamped by Charles Guillaume DIEHL (1811 - 1885), in ebony with inlaid decoration of friezes of scrolls, fleurons and lanceolate leaves, inside with five dra...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Brass

A Rare French Cigar Humidor by Charles Guillame Diehl and Jean Brandley
Located in New York, NY
A Rare Wood and Silvered Bronze French Cigar Humidor by Charles Guillaume Diehl and Jean Brandely, C. 1860, Paris This extraordinary cigar humidor, crafted by the esteemed French ar...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Bronze

Cigarette Case Two-Tone Striped Fired Enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular table box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent two-tone striped fired enamel on guillochè and hand-engraved ornament. Late Empire Napoleon III style. ...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Sterling Silver, Enamel

Napoleon III Handcrafted Nutwood Cigar Humidor Box with Brass Edging and Inlay
Located in Lisse, NL
Good quality and excellent condition antique box. This straight lined cigar box is another one of our timeless items that will also make a great gift for someone who has never owned...
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Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Brass

Late 19th Century Wooden Cigar Carrousel with Music
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
A beautiful antique wooden cigar carousel, with music. Made in France, late 19th century. When you turn the knob on the top, all panels turn at the same time. The panels are hand-pai...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Brass

Late 19th Century Napoleon III Ebonized Cigar Cabinet
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
A stylish Napoleon III cigar cabinet, crafted with ebonized wood, brass inlays, and a distinctive medallion at the top, this late 1800s piece reflects the refined style of the Napole...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Brass

Table Cigarette Box hand painted in tempera on a vegetable ivory Salimbeni.
Located in Firenze, FI
Square table box for cigarettes in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guilloché also on the sides. In the center beautiful miniature hand painted i...
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1970s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

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19th Century French Wooden Liquor Cabinet Napoleon III with Crystal Interior
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Antique Silver BOX Decorative Box, Sterling Silver Jewllery Box Home Decor
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Early 20th Century French Repousse Brass and Wooden Box with Sailboats Decor
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Cigar and Music Box, Early 20th Century, Napoleon III Style.
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Royal Count Cigar Box Humidor French Napoleon by Alphonse Giroux 19th Century
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19th Century Wood Inlaid Cigar Carrousel - Napoleon III
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A beautiful antique wooden cigar carousel. A typical object from the French Napoleon III period. When you turn the top knob, the doors on all sides open and the cigars appear. The ci...
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Napoleon III Period Brass, Ebony, Bone Inlay Cigar Box, 1870s
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Late 19th Century Napoleon III Cigar Box
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Late 19th Century Napoleon III Cigar Box
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H 7.88 in W 9.45 in D 7.09 in
Late 19th Century Napoleon III Burl Walnut Cigar Box
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
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Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Marquetry Cigar Presentation Box
Located in Fayetteville, AR
Originally used to present cigars, this mid-nineteenth century Napoleon III period thuya wood cave a cigares, as it is referred to in French, features a ce...
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19th Century Napoleon III Burl and Mother-of-Pearl Cigar Boxe
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1850s French Antique Napoleon III Cigar Boxes and Humidors

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Ebony and Brass Boulle Marquetry Casket by Maison Vervelle
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Napoleon Iii cigar boxes and humidors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III cigar boxes and humidors for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage cigar boxes and humidors created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, asian art and furniture, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, brass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III cigar boxes and humidors made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original cigar boxes and humidors, popular names associated with this style include Charles-Guillaume Diehl, and Franco Salimbeni. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for cigar boxes and humidors differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,078 and tops out at $3,869 while the average work can sell for $3,107.

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