Superb late 1800s to earliest 1900s hand carved cigar caddy, presentation chest, double-hinged lid folds up and back to reveal 4 sliding shelves with spaces for 18 small cigars or cheroot. Beautifully preserved, look at the 2 birds up top which are fine anatomical Animalier carvings, and remain with little or no loss, which is rare on these. The original working lock and original key remain with this one, too. Full measurements noted on the photos. Found in France.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. Tiny nips to the tail of the small bird, but it's a chick and not yet with the long tail of the adult bird. Not even beaks or slender legs have been damaged, and likewise, no chips to corners of outer box. Often the cigar trays have been split and repaired, but none of these 4 have been. They slide smoothly in the slots. There are 2 flaws to point out: On the front panel, a leaf decoration is missing on the left half; the 2nd flaw is negligible but evidence on bottom that it did once have legs. One could certainly attach carved cabinet door handles stained to match, if one wanted to raise it again aesthetically.
