Mark Twain Cigarette Box

A really intersting item
I can't see similar on the internet.
However I am not the best at finding stuff.

I presume a cigarette box?

Any idea roughly of age?

Thanks

 

What is the association with Mark Twain? The imagery is not from the era in which he lived.

Debora

 

Looks rather 'Dickensian' to my eye...

~Cheryl

 

Hmmm the owner was a tad maticulous and labelled it Mark Twain.

 

Agreed. Much too early for Twain, though he might have inherited it. Are there any maker’s marks @KEVIN AIREY?

 

Where did he label it Mark Twain?

Debora

 

Tobacco box. As in, tobacco was sold in it. It could be a fair bit later than the image.

 

Size? Could be a soap box...

~Cheryl

 

Maybe the seller found a connection with Mark Twain tobacco:


http://skittishlibrary.co.uk/mark-twain-tobacco-1909/

 

Ahh interesting! I can’t see any writing on the box but maybe that was how tobacco was sold? This seems very possible. Perhaps OPer will clarify re. labelling..?

 

Or maybe a Mark Twain tobacco gift box?

 

I couldn't find a Mark Twain tobacco box that wasn't labelled as such. Possible but an odd image to associate with Twain.

Debora

 

Yes! IMO the clothing is too early. The coat on the seated figure makes him very early 19th century, as seen on the figure below, right:


So it would be out-of-date as it were, by 1865 or so when Twain was first recognised as a writer. I can’t think what association there is between his work and this image... nothing he wrote was specifically set in this time, and I don’t recognise the artist as an illustration of Twain. Still... people mash time periods together now, entirely possible that Mark Twain Tobacco came in boxes like this...

 

Think I need to go back and look at Dickension. Surely the characters will put it in he right place. Still odd he clearly stated Twain. Keep you posted.

 

The image is a bit early for Dickens. He became famous with The Pickwick Papers in 1836.

Debora

 

Hmm a bit of a mystery. I must tae time over the weekend to track down the characters. Thanks xx

 

If it were a tobacco tin, I'd expect it to be branded.

Debora

 

Not neccessarily. Many had paper labels designed to be removed, just as biscuit tins did. Idea was it was useable long after and decorative.

 

What is the size?

~Cheryl

 

May we see the Mark Twain label?

Debora