Gold cigarette case

[AG2012]

Hi,
I do not think matching initials JR are enough to attribute the case to Jenö Reiss; if we follow this logic, there would be at least several Vienna silversmiths with matching initials and dozens elsewhere in Europe.
Besides, it is a typical Russian cigarette case.
To summarize, I think it was made by unidentified Warsaw maker.

[VicM52]

Hi AG201 - thanks for the reply. I think you are right...it's unlikely that Jenö Reiss is the maker, but the mark looks very similar and Vienna is only about 350 miles from Warsaw so I though it's a possibility.

But then I started thinking more and now I have another question about the piece. Clearly this is a custom piece since it has the Officer's badge of the Life Guards Kexholm Regiment on the cover, and the inscription inside. I assume the inscription was done locally by the jeweler, Michał Mankielewicz. What about the addition of the Officer's badge? Could a jeweler do something like this? Or would the maker need to do such a thing? If it's the work of the maker, then clearly the maker had to be local.

Thanks as always for your insights.

[Aguest]

I've had a few antique cigarette cases with the original elastic material which holds the cigarettes in place, so I know what heavily used elastic bands look like. :::: What strikes me about your elastic bands is that they seem unused. ::: If those are the original elastic bands, they appear to have never been used to hold cigarettes and to take cigarettes out again and again. ::::

[AG2012]

It is custom made in regard of the regimental badge; either attached by Michał Mankielewicz or the subcontractor JR.
Badges and other applications (e.g. monograms) are attached with rivets (prongs) introduced through small holes and their heads distorted to fix the application. That is because hard soldering of enameled badges is out of question; high temperature needed for hard soldering and acid pickling would destroy the enamel. There is a possibility the badge was made by somebody else, but in that case it would be made of silver and gilded. Because hundreds of regiments had badges made by silversmiths and jewelers (not custom made), and they were made of silver, gold badges being extremely rare. You can check how the badge fixed inside the case and whether there is possible wear to gilding. If not, then it`s made of gold and could be custom made; not an impossible task for a jeweler.

Regards

[VicM52]

Hi Aguest - I can't speak to the elastic straps in the case. I don't know if my great grandfather used the case every day or if he received it as a gift and simply held on to it. The worn off gold plating in most places seems to indicate it was used or at least carried around a lot. I will see if I can get any more insights to this point.

Thanks AG2012 for sharing your knowledge here. You can see in one of the photos (with the case open) there are three rivet holes in the case that is used to attach the badge. I will see if we can determine if the badge is silver or gold and come back.