REDUCED Cigar Band Folk Art Plate ~ Circa 1900 ~ Unique and Fascinating!

Collectibles : Folk Art : Tobacciana : Cigar Bands

 

In the early 1900s, cigar bands were a readily available and cheap material for use in folk art. Using collage and decoupage, artists decorated mostly glass and china items, as well as tobacco humidors, small wooden boxes, and even furniture.

Hobby kits, sold in the early 1900s, typically included an undecorated plate, bowl or ashtray, along with instructions on how to apply the cigar bands, which were glued on and then coated with shellac. Kits included images of British royalty, famous authors, US presidents, and many more. Young men would often make these kits as gifts for their girl friends or mothers.

This particular plate is decorated with cigar bands depicting Lord Leslie, Earl of Rothes, a member of the Scottish peerage. In deep, rich tones of red, gold, and black, El Tutor cigar bands encircle the plate, framing the large image of Lord Leslie in the centre. The work was completed with painstaking care and attention to detail.

Either this was not a kit, or it came without a plate, or the original plate was broken, because the plate used is actually a Johnson Brothers pattern, circa 1900, named Sanoma. This can be seen on the reverse of the 8 inch diameter plate, where someone scraped off the gilt paint to reveal the maker's name.

This amazing piece of folk art was probably made in England or Canada, in the early 1900s. It is in very good shape for its age, with slight wear, mostly to the edges, and a 1 1/2 inch area which was painted to disguise a partially missing paper label. The age-appropriate flaws do not detract from the uniqueness and beauty of the whole.

For the cigar aficionado, the cigar band collector, or for anyone who appreciates the unusual.

Item ID: RL755

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