Swiss Carved Walnut Heraldic Tobacco/Cigarette Box with Polychrome Armorial Shields, ca. 1880–1920
CHF 90.00
The box is constructed from what appears to be walnut or a dark-stained fruitwood, rectangular in plan with a flat hinged lid. All carved surfaces are executed on a finely stippled (cross-hatched) ground that throws the relief motifs into sharp contrast. The front panel — the largest and most elaborate face — features a heraldic escutcheon divided per fess into sable (black, upper) and azure (blue, lower), bearing a silver fess and three argent mullets (six-pointed stars), surrounded by elaborate symmetrical acanthus scroll volutes. This armorial device does not correspond precisely to any single major Swiss cantonal coat of arms and may represent a municipal, guild, or family device, or a stylised decorative heraldic composition typical of the souvenir trade. The opposing long face displays a simpler shield divided per pale in blue and white — strongly consistent with the arms of the Canton of Lucerne or Canton of Argovia — flanked by carved laurel or olive branches in low relief. The top face of the hinged lid is dominated by a large raised Swiss cross in relief against a stippled ground, a ubiquitous emblem of Swiss national identity and a hallmark of the period's tourist pieces.
The handle at one short end is an elegantly turned and carved pistol-grip or scroll form, polished smooth from years of handling, executed in a slightly lighter, more reddish wood — possibly cherry or applewood — that contrasts pleasingly with the darker walnut body and may have been applied as a separate fitted element. The opposite short end features a stepped, moulded panel rising above the box body with incised moulding lines, serving both a decorative and functional role as a visual stop or clasp surround.
The overall quality of carving is high, with confident, crisp detail in the scrollwork and well-modelled heraldic relief. The polychrome paint on the shields — blue, black, and white/silver — is intact and vivid, indicating either careful preservation or sympathetic conservation at some point. Boxes of this type were commonly employed as tobacco boxes, cigarette holders, or gentleman's desktop accessories and were frequently given as presentation gifts.
Comparable Swiss souvenir and presentation boxes of this calibre — particularly those with armorial decoration, original polychrome, and a pistol-grip handle — command steady collector interest in Central European antique markets and among collectors of heraldica, folk art, and decorative woodenware.
Material: Carved walnut or dark-stained fruitwood body; pistol-grip handle in a slightly lighter reddish wood (possibly cherry or applewood); polychrome-painted heraldic shields; stippled and relief-carved surfaces throughout
Condition notes
Overall condition is good to very good for age. The relief carving is crisp and largely intact with no major losses or fractures visible. The polychrome paint on all three heraldic shields appears vivid — blue, black, white/silver tones are well-preserved — with only minor edge wear. The hinged lid is functional and open in one image; the hinge mechanism appears intact and aligned. The wood surface shows an even, darkened patina consistent with age and handled use, most pronounced on the pistol-grip handle where the wood is noticeably smoother and slightly lighter in tone. The stippled carved ground is crisp across all faces with no significant abrasion. A possible minor chip or hairline crack may be present at the junction of the stepped end panel, though this is difficult to confirm from photographs alone. No splits, warping, structural repairs, or obvious repainting observed.