Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–5

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Cigar Cabinet

A work made of oak, cedar and walnut veneers, patinated bronze, and caning.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of oak, cedar and walnut veneers, patinated bronze, and caning.

Date:

c. 1867

Artist:

Made by Charles-Guillaume Diehl (German, active in Paris, 1811–1885)
Designed by Jean-Eugene Brandely (French, active 1867–1873)
Bronzes modeled by Emmanuel Fremiet (French, 1824–1910)
Paris

About this artwork

This cabinet is the work of three artists: a designer, a cabinetmaker and retailer, and a sculptor. The composition balances monumental architectural forms with lively, playful bronzes. Designed as a humidor, it retains its interior drawers for cigars.

The cabinet’s sinister creatures were designed by Emmanuel Frémiet, one of the most sensitive and accomplished animal sculptors of the 19th century. He was a professor of zoological drawing in Paris and excelled at creating lifelike imaginary beasts such as the winged frog on this cabinet. Gothic in spirit, it reflects the fascination with Europe’s medieval past that informed the work of many 19th-century French artists.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

Charles–Guillaume Diehl

Title

Cigar Cabinet

Place

Paris (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1862–1872

Medium

Oak, cedar and walnut veneers, patinated bronze, and caning

Dimensions

188 × 122 × 47 cm (74 × 48 × 18 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Fund; Paul H. Leffman Fund; Mary Swissler Oldberg Acquisition Fund

Reference Number

2019.1182

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/253743/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms