19th Century Cigar Box
These 19th century cigar box selections range from carved linden wood to solid silver, offering durable storage for tobacco enthusiasts.
19th Century Cigar Box
A 19th century cigar box serves to store and protect tobacco, often taking the form of humidors, desktop cabinets, and novelty containers. These pieces reflect the smoking habits and social customs of the Victorian era and earlier periods.
Buyers will encounter various regional styles on this page, including Black Forest carvings from Europe, Anglo-Indian woodwork, and Dutch silver cases. The selection spans utilitarian containers to elaborate collectors cabinets and tantalus combinations.
Woods such as walnut, oak, and burr walnut dominate the wooden examples, while precious metals like sterling silver and silver gilt provide more formal alternatives. Each object demonstrates the craftsmanship applied to everyday smoking accessories of the 1800s.
How they were made
Carpenters and cabinet makers utilised solid timbers and veneers, applying brass banding for structural reinforcement and visual contrast on oak and walnut bodies. Carved wooden items such as Black Forest humidors relied on detailed hand-chizzling of linden wood and other timbers.
Silversmiths employed techniques like reeded design and chased ornamentation to decorate solid silver and silver gilt cases. Leather was occasionally worked into book forms for cheroot cases, showing the breadth of materials utilised across the century.
19th Century Cigar Box Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for 19th century cigar box among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Materials span solid silver, brass-bound oak, burr walnut, and carved linden wood across the 19th century.
What varies in quality
The standard of carving determines much of the distinction in Black Forest and Anglo-Indian pieces, where depth and expression elevate the object. Finer specimens show careful attention to animal or botanical forms without mechanical shortcuts.
Material selection and internal fittings also divide the range, from plain oak boxes to burr walnut cabinets with multiple drawers and crystal decanters. Hallmarks on silver items and the tightness of wooden joints further distinguish superior examples.
Sampson Mordan·Wright & Davies
The 19th Century Cigar Box Glossary
- Humidor
- A moisture-controlled box designed to keep cigars fresh. These internal compartments maintain the humidity required for stored tobacco.
- Cheroot
- A type of cigar cut straight at both ends rather than tapered. Cheroot cases were manufactured specifically to hold these narrow smokes.
- Black Forest
- A style of wood carving originating from the Central European region, known for realistic animal and foliage motifs. Bears and dogs frequently appear in these wooden designs.
- Silver Gilt
- Silver that has been coated with a thin layer of gold on its surface. This technique adds a rich interior finish to metal cigar cases.
- Tantalus
- A locking drinks cabinet that displays decanters while preventing unauthorised access. Some 19th century examples incorporated cigar storage alongside the crystal bottles.
19th Century Cigar Box: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a humidor?
A humidor is a specialised storage container designed to maintain a consistent humidity level for keeping cigars fresh over time.
In the nineteenth century, these were often lined with specific woods and fitted with tight closures to preserve the tobacco.
How do I clean a wooden box?
Wooden surfaces should be dusted gently with a dry cloth and treated with appropriate furniture wax sparingly.
Avoid using water or chemical cleaners that might damage antique veneers or dry out the timber.
Were these used for cigarettes?
While primarily designed for cigars and cheroots, some nineteenth century receptacles accommodated cigarettes as smoking habits evolved.
Cases made by silversmiths often listed multiple tobacco formats in their historical descriptions.
What is a cheroot case?
A cheroot case is a slim container built to hold open-ended cheroots rather than standard tapered cigars.
They frequently appeared in pocket-sized leather book forms or rigid metal designs during the early eighteen-hundreds.
How do I date a silver case?
Silver pieces usually rely on hallmarks stamped into the metal to identify the assay office and year of manufacture.
Maker marks also help attribute the item to specific London or continental workshops.