FRENCH 1925 Art-Deco Black Lacquer & White Egg-Shell Lacquer Cigarette Case
A French art deco modernist cigarette case.
This is a gorgeous cigarettes case created in Paris France during the art deco period, back in the 1925-1930. The case has been crafted in a rectangular shape and is embellished on both sides, with modernistic geometric patterns made up with shiny black lacquer and white-gray eggshells lacquer. The box is fitted with a concealed seven-barrels hinge and a mechanical thumb pusher for opening and closure.
The Art Deco
The Art Deco art movement is defined by geometric shapes, abstract design, and lavish colors. This was the visual effect of luxury, glamour and techniques. A product of innovative new machinery, economic growth, and social freedoms, the style was first introduced in France before the World-War I, However, it wasn’t until the late 1920s, after the war, that it began to gain affection. Antique, traditional and new techniques were revitalized as artists, designers, silversmiths and architects applied the style across a broad range of visual fields, from opulent structures and interiors to fashionable handheld objects.
Eggshell Lacquer
This is a traditional art and craft technique, particularly prominent in Vietnam, that creates intricate, textured patterns by inlaying crushed, carefully prepared eggshells onto a lacquer base. The process involves delicate breaking of the shells into small fragments and arranging them to form a pattern, which is then embedded in layers of natural lacquer. After multiple layers of lacquer are applied and sanded, the shell fragments create a unique, crackled, and lustrous surface with depth. Eggshell lacquer was a key decorative technique in the Art Deco period, especially in pieces by artists like Jean Dunand, who used small, broken fragments of eggshell inlaid into a lacquer surface to create intricate, shimmering patterns, particularly for designs that required brilliant white, a color naturally absent in traditional lacquers. This labor-intensive process involved placing the shells on a lacquer base, then adding multiple layers of lacquer over them and meticulously polishing to reveal a unique, reflective mosaic effect.
Materials: Alpaca silver, black lacquer and eggshell lacquer.
Weight: 147.60 Grams, (94.65 Dwt).
Measurements: 130.5 mm by 89 mm by 10 mm (5.03 x 3.187 x 0.39 Inches).
Literature: Rodney and Diane Capstick-Dale, The art deco Collectibles "Fashionable Objects From The Jazz Age", Thames & Hudson 2016, for similar pieces illustrated.
Collateral: This French art deco case is accompanied by a presentation jewelry pouch.
Condition: The overall condition of this French art deco case is very good. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage and all lacquered parts are secured in their settings. Minimal scratches and marks consistent to the period, considering this is a piece of 100 years old. This cigarette case has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: P090125BONM/4.375
