Early 20th Century j.s. Sawin & Co. Roulette-Wheel Cigar Cutter Display

Details

Description

Vintage countertop cigar cutter and advertising display produced for J.S. Sawin & Co. The imaginative design combines a miniature roulette … Read more Vintage countertop cigar cutter and advertising display produced for J.S. Sawin & Co. The imaginative design combines a miniature roulette wheel with a barrel-form cigar-cutting basin, reflecting the novelty advertising frequently used by cigar manufacturers and tobacconists during the early 20th century.

The upright roulette-style wheel features a numbered perimeter rendered in alternating red, black, and green fields. Its center advertises “Smoke J.S. Sawin & Co. Clear Havana Cigars” in bold black lettering against an aged yellow ground. Short projecting handles positioned around the wheel reinforce its resemblance to a casino roulette wheel.

The wheel is mounted on a dark metal column rising from a shaped wooden plinth. Positioned beside it is a miniature barrel-shaped wooden receptacle with dark metal bands and stenciled lettering reading “Best on Earth.” The barrel incorporates the cigar-cutting area and would have served as a basin for collecting clipped cigar ends.

The warm wood grain, aged graphics, mechanical components, and playful gambling theme give the piece considerable visual presence. Originally intended for a tobacco shop, cigar counter, hotel, club, or saloon, it now functions as a distinctive piece of early advertising and smoking-culture memorabilia.

Mechanical operation and cutting functionality have not been tested.

Overall: 8" W x 7" D x 12" H

MM - 4545 - 090623
LV - 4545 - 092426 See less