Q: I would like to know what this was used for. The lid has a rubber seal and the finial seems to be brass. The whole thing is heavy. Can you explain the stampings on the bottom of it?A: You have a humidor used to keep cigars fresh. The scene on the side is from the comic operetta "Les Cloches de Corneville" ("The Bells of Corneville"), which was first produced in Paris in 1877. Later it was made into a silent movie. The operetta was called "The Chimes of Normandy" when it opened in London and New York. It is one of the most popular French operettas and is still performed occasionally. We did a lot of research on the mark on your humidor and found a humidor like yours with a similar mark plus an additional mark that identifies the maker as Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co. The company was founded in 1867 by Thomas Taylor and William Tunnicliff in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The pottery made humidors, biscuit jars, fairy lamp bases, and other items from 1868 to 1898. After 1898 the company specialized in making ceramics for the electrical industry. The company is now called Taylor Tunnicliff Ltd. and is located in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. The A.F.C mark on your humidor is a mystery. It may be the artist's mark. Your humidor is worth about $150.
1 comment:
Judging by its shape, I would expect it to be used for pipe tobacco rather than cigars.
Walt
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