Cigar culture was once the peak of masculinity. Now, it’s a compelling curiosity
Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.
These days, hand-rolled cigars remain luxury items in themselves — selling for up to $1.3 million per stick — because of their rarity and the artisanal skill required to make them. “Beyond their rich aromas and intricate craftsmanship, cigars evoke a bygone era of elegance and fortitude,” says Alexander Pushkin, founder of Pushkin Antiques, in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England.
Accordingly, many of the tools involved in their storage and consumption — cigar humidors and cigar boxes, cigar cutters, cigar lighters and ashtrays — are collected as refined objets d’art.
“People purchase a diverse array of items, which have to be functional and stylish,” Pushkin explains. “Each piece must be beautiful to enhance the overall experience and, equally important, practical to honour the cigar and treat it with the utmost care it deserves.”
