Six matching tabletop sets. Each set is on a translucent rectilinear tray with coral balls for feet. Gold studs drilled into the tray hold the coral in place. The corners of the tray are rounded and on each tray are two upright rectangular nephrite slabs into which four holes have been drilled. Each of four cigarettes fits into the holes. The nephrite is held in place near the bottom with a long smooth bolt that has a large head. Each slab has a thin gold band near the top that goes around it. Just below the band is a small tube-set cabochon ruby. There is space behind the slab for a place card to go.

See more objects with the tag smoking, luxury, entertaining, nightlife.

Object Timeline

	We acquired this object.
1924	Work on this object began.
2016	We photographed this object.
2017	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

One Of A Set Of Six Place Card Holders, Cigarette Holders, And Ashtrays, 1924

This is a One of a Set of Six Place Card Holders, Cigarette Holders, and Ashtrays.

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from The Carolyn Hsu-Balcer Collection as part of The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.

It is dated 1924. Its medium is nephrite, jade, coral, gold, rubies.

By the 1920s most jewelers in the United States and Europe carried smoking accessories. The cigarette holder protected one’s fingers and eyes while also playing a significant social and fashionable role. Although men used cigarette holders, the Jewelers’ Circular credited the rise of female smokers to the cigarette holder industry, which used a great range of materials and eye-catching styles.

It is credited The Carolyn Hsu-Balcer Collection.

Cigarette Holder (Germany)
glazed earthenware.
Gift of Victor Wiener.
1999-57-39

Cigarette Holder
silver.
1986-54-1

Drawing, Design for Lighter
pastel, graphite on paper vellum.
Gift of Donald Deskey.
1988-101-1675

Our curators have highlighted 3 objects that are related to this one.

A diamond link chain necklace with six, carved, deep green jade panels displayed on a black velvet bust. Four of the jade panels are rectangular and worn around the neck interlinked by the diamond chains. In the center is a small lonzenge shaped diamond from which the main pendant falls. The pendant is formed from a pyramidal shape encrusted with small baguette diamonds with another rectangular jade panel below, then the pyramidal diamond encrusted shape again, with a long oblong-shaped carved piece of jade attached below.

Pendant Necklace, 1920s
diamonds, carved jade, platinum.
Neil Lane Collection.
59.2016.19

Two glazed earthenware punchbowls on a gray background with white lighting. The bowls have distinct shapes and placements on the image. The one on the left is elevated, placed on a display cube. It curves upwards and swiftly out towards the rim. The one on the right, slightly larger, curves mostly upwards without the swift curving rim design on the left. The bowls are both in a blue tonal color with decorative motifs on their surface. Its surface is in dark blue with images made by scratches revealing a lighter blue color - the sgraffito technique. The left bowl has a “Cocktails and Cigarettes” theme with images that include glasses, bottles, bubbles, zigzags, and various shapes. The right bowl’s design called “The New Yorker (Jazz)” has a more abstract rendition of city nightlife with buildings, stars, and various shapes. The inner portions of the bowls also have images of stars, circles, and wavy lines on their surface.

Object ID #907130321
glazed earthenware with engobe, sgraffito.
Lent by The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Elizabeth Mather McMillan, 2000.128.
48.2016.3

Cigarette Holder (USA)
polished chromium, plastic.
Gift of Mel Byars.
1991-59-121

Its dimensions are

H x W x D (each): 8.9 × 5.7 × 4.8 cm (3 1/2 × 2 1/4 × 1 7/8 in.)

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2oaHQz/
Accession Number 73.2016.4
Object ID 907216429