Antique wooden cigar box with remnants of decorative chromolithographed labels. The lid bears a hot-stamped "Primus Inter Pares" mark, accompanied by a medal design reminiscent of awards won by the brand at international exhibitions. The sides still retain several elements of the original labels: a portrait of a bearded man framed by ornaments typical of cigar bands, the inscription "I. Benedictus - Antwerp," a globe design with floral cartouches, and a band bearing the vitola name "Jasmines." The box dates from the late 19th or very early 20th century, likely linked to the Belgian tobacco trade in Antwerp, a major cigar distribution center at that time. The object is of significant decorative interest thanks to its remnants of colored labels and the embossed mark on the lid.
✦ Provenance: I. Benedictus, Antwerp (Belgium) ✦ Estimated period: Circa 1900 ✦ Dimensions: approx. 22 x 12 x 3.5 cm ✦ Material: Wood and labels ✦ Condition: Used condition with significant wear, labels partially missing or detached, signs of wear on the wood and edges; decoration and inscriptions still legible
A fine example of a Belle Époque cigar box, prized for its blend of marked wood and colorful labels typical of late 19th-century tobacco imagery.
