Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 68, The Whiteley Galleries

Cigarette Box

1928 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This cigarette box would have been an elegant container for quantities of loose cigarettes. It has a silver finial on the lid, silver mounts and a walnut core covered in shagreen (treated sharkskin).

Shagreen was traditionally used to cover a vast variety of containers. These ranged from boxes to tea caddies, knife boxes, canteens, small pocket or presentation cases and spectacle cases. John Paul Cooper (1869-1933), who made this box, was largely responsible for reviving its use.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cigarette Box
  • Lid for a Cigarette Box
Materials and techniques
Silver mounts, shagreen and walnut core, with silver finial
Brief description
Walnut covered in grey shagreen with silver mounts, no hallmarks, London, 1928, designed and made by John Paul Cooper
Physical description
Circular drum of walnut, covered in shagreen with matching lid, silver mounts and finial.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.5cm
  • Width: 9cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • No hallmarks
  • Inside lid: stamp JPC for John Paul Cooper
Credit line
Purchased from the British Institute of Industrial Art out of the Spielmann Memorial Fund
Object history
John Paul Cooper (1869-1933) initially trained as an architect, working in the offices of J D Sedding and Henry Wilson. It was on Wilson's advice that he took up metalwork in 1897 and he was primarily responsible for reviving the use of shagreen. Shagreen was originally a species of untanned leather; from the mid 18th century nurse shark skin or the less expensive dog fish skin was used. It was traditionally used to cover a vast variety of containers from boxes for tea caddies, knife boxes, canteens, small pocket or presentation cases and spectacle cases.
Purchased from the British Institute of Industrial Art out of the Spielmann Memorial Fund.

Neg._No: 72691
Summary
This cigarette box would have been an elegant container for quantities of loose cigarettes. It has a silver finial on the lid, silver mounts and a walnut core covered in shagreen (treated sharkskin).

Shagreen was traditionally used to cover a vast variety of containers. These ranged from boxes to tea caddies, knife boxes, canteens, small pocket or presentation cases and spectacle cases. John Paul Cooper (1869-1933), who made this box, was largely responsible for reviving its use.
Collection
Accession number
M.87:1, 2-1934

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Record createdMarch 9, 2004
Record URL
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