Mistletoe French Sterling SOLID Silver Cigarette Case Box Christmas Murat Nouvea
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:491013 | Composition: Continental Silver |
| Pattern: Mistletoe | Style: Art Nouveau |
| Type: Cigarette Case | Age: 1900-1940 |
| Brand: Unknown |
ABOUT:As you can see from my store, I am one of those annoying people who loves Christmas year round and especially love holly and mistletoe decorated items - such an interesting pattern! Prettily detailed, Large and Heavy antique cigarette case / box by Charles Murat of Paris, solid silver, this is a French piece with raised mistletoe leaves and berries designing both sides with a very period-appropriate Art Nouveau style. Beautiful vibrant goldwash interior. W...ould make a great gift for the Christmas lover in your life. My husband and I ironically use cigarette cases to carry our vitamins when we travel so even if you are not a smoker, the piece can still be useful to this day! : )There is an ornate two initial monogram to the back side of the piece.I have a matching mistletoe match safe vesta also by Murat if a set is desired so please see my other items.HALLMARKS:Marked with the French hallmarks for small solid Silver items. Absolutely not silver-plated. Also marked "Depose" which is the French word for "Registered". Depose is a term used in Europe that means "Registered maker" for the particular country of origin of the item. It is very similar to our copyright - so it is signifying not only "made in" but also "copyrighted" European style. Also has the maker's mark for Charles Murat who started silversmithing in Paris in the late 1800s.CONDITION DETAILS:In estate condition considering age with some stubborn tarnish and all over faint surface wear. Some of the tarnish appears like a cloudy area around the mistletoe details. It could likely be polished further, but I like patina on my pieces to allow the high relief designs to stand out and I didn't want to polish it too aggressively and risk wearing the pattern. The piece is sturdy and has held its shape well. Snaps open and closed, the clasp is a little rusty so sometimes it closes looser but when I open it and push the button it tightens again.A few pinhead nicks around the smooth edges and shallow ripples on the corners but nothing deep or very noticeable, along with scuffs and scratches from use and polish over the years. Some darker tarnish on the inside where it is harder to clean but vibrant goldwash remains.As with all my estate items - Please see photos closely as this is not a mint condition item. MEASUREMENTS:Very nice size. It weighs 101 grams of solid silver and measures 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/4 by about 5/8 of an inch thick. It's a beauty!I have a few other match safe / vestas listed as well so please take a look!I dearly love, collect, use and sell antique sterling silver flatware and household items so please check out my other listings including Tiffany & Co., Durgin and more!Thanks for stopping by!
