Alfred Dunhill Aquarium cigar or cigarette box, 1950s

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Alfred Dunhill Aquarium cigar or cigarette box, 1950s

About the Item

Alfred Dunhill, London An extremely scarce 'Aquarium' cigar box made by by Ben Shillingford for Dunhill, circa mid- 1950. The sides of the box are in honey-coloured satinwood veneers, and inlaid to the top is a large Perspex panel, carved in reverse using the intaglio technique, illustrating eight tropical fish in an aquatic scene, with detailed rocks and reeds in the background. The cedar lined interior has the original label ‘Dunhill London Made in England' fitted to the inside of the lid. There are so few of these boxes in existence, they were most likely bespoke special orders. Size: 9 x 5 x 4 inches (23 x 13 x 10 cm). PLEASE NOTE, THE LIGHTER IS IT SHOWN WITH IS FOR SCALE ONLY AND IS NOT INCLUDED. The ‘Aquarium’ lighters were all designed and hand-made for Dunhill between 1950 and 1959 by Ben Shillingford (1904-2000), whose unique skills in designing, carving and hand-painting the Perspex panels could never be equalled. Upon his retirement, the skills necessary to continue to manufacture the ‘Aquarium’ lighter could not be found, and production ceased. No two ‘Aquarium’ lighters are the same – each is, in its way, a unique work of art. The vast majority, logically, depict aquatic scenes, of either sea-water or fresh-water fish (but never both). A very small number of lighters depict non-aquatic scenes – hunting, horse-racing and aviary subjects in particular. The ‘Aquarium’ lighter was made in two sizes, the ‘Half-Giant’ and the smaller (and somewhat rarer) ‘Service’ size. They were available in three metal finishes, namely gold-plated, silver-plated and chromium-plated, and all were, of course, fuelled with petrol rather than butane, which came into common usage in the 1960’s. Boxes made by Dunhill which feature 'Aquarium' panels by Ben Shillingford are extremely scarce and consequently are highly sought-after by 'Aquarium' lighter collectors. We have only seen two examples of this design in the last 15 years.

Creator:
Alfred Dunhill (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 4 in (10.16 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 5 in (12.7 cm)
Style:
Other (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Paint,Plexiglass,Wood,Hand-Carved,Hand-Painted,Veneer
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1955
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. There are some small, light marks to the satinwood veneer, the Perspex panel is nice and clear, the paint colours are crisp and bright. Overall, the condition is extremely good.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 63881stDibs: LU868013027962