Alphonse Tahan Cigar Humidor

A mahogany and brass mounted cigar humidor, by Alphonse Tahan, circa 1880. Signed to lock plate Tahan. 6.50 in. high, 11.22 in. wide, 6.10 in. deep. Note: Born in Belgium in 1830 and by the age of 19, he had opened a shop at 30 Rue de la Paix in the heart of Paris. Tahan grew to prominence as a craftsman known for creating beautiful and varied pieces, from the elaborate to the simple. His work, typical of the second Empire, combined a classical formality reminiscent of the late 1700s with the lavish use of costly materials. He used many techniques including using pieces of cast brone to simulate bamboo. Tahan eventually caught the eye of Napoleon's wife, Empress Eugenie, and he became the official 'ebeniste' (cabinetmaker) to the Emperor and his wife. Her regard for Tahan's workshop led to great demand for his furniture and smaller items.

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Ebeniste - The French equivilent to the English "cabinet maker". Because of their preference for ebony, a new, rare and expensive wood in the 17th century, the French masters of the craft of veneering were known as ébénistes, although they later combined veneering with technical variations such as marquetry. The Paris Guild of Ebenistes was extemely influential, and its members almost as highly regarded as painters and sculptors.
Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.

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