This is a really lovely old hand-stitched leather (cowhide I believe) covered Waverly cigarette tin, with hand-woven details on the lid and sides. It is very faintly stamped Sierra Leone on the bottom and I believe dates to the 1920s or so. (I can just picture Ernest Hemingway bringing this back from one of his African hunting trips.) These seem to have been a handicraft specific to West Africa; I have found a few other examples, but few as great condition as this one. The woven detail is executed in what looks to be raffia, through tiny cuts in the leather wrap. I especially love the stitched seam up the side. Inside, the tin is embossed "Waverley Cigarettes" on the bottom and " Lambert & Butler, England" on the backside of the lid.
The leather is beautifully aged and in great condition. There is light rusting to the interior of the tin. 3 1/4" t x 2 3/4" d.
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