![]() The Dunhill aquarium lighters were produced in four sizes, the giant (weighing a mighty 450 grams without fuel and designed to live on a table) the half-giant, the standard and the smaller (and somewhat rarer) service size. Each came with a curved lift arm stamped ‘Dunhill’ and a registration mark on the back. The design was available in three metal finishes: gold-plate, silver-plate and chromium-plate gold. The panels were then painted and applied to the lighters’ bodies in four distinct sections. As the range grew, scenes became populated with ever more ambitious designs of varying depth and complexity. The panels were hand carved with reverse intaglios using dental tools and drills. Estimated at £1,200-£1,800, it sold for £3,240 in 2008, image courtesy of Bonhams A Dunhill aquarium lighter, perspex and gold plated, height 8cm, length 10cm. The lighters and boxes were made from lucite, which was developed in WWII as an alternative to glass, because of its shatterproof qualities, it was invaluable for everything from airplane windshields to submarine periscopes.įollowing the conflict, the remaining lucite stock found its way into artists’ studios, designers’ workshops and jewellery makers’ shops. Combine this with a limited supply and, voila, you have a strong collecting field fuelled by enthusiastic collectors and dealers aspiring to have the best collections. They cross the divide of a functional luxury object, combined with a quirkiness and uniqueness that makes every one of them special. They are incredibly realistic pieces of art with beautiful depth and complexity that to this day offer a timeless addition to any antique collection. Since seeing and handling the first Dunhill aquarium lighters, I have been spellbound by them ever since. ![]() Many years ago Piers Woodnutt, my great friend and colleague at the London dealer Mallett, introduced me to a field of collecting I knew very little about. ![]() None less so than in the field of lighters – with one brand and one style standing out. Our diminishing love affair with nicotine has sparked a passion for smoking paraphernalia. A time when when smoking was so chic, it came with a number of stylish accoutrements. With the pariah status of smokers today, it’s difficult to conjure up an era when the habit was not only de riguer, but the height of fashion. ![]() The less we smoke the more collectors crave lighters – none more so than iconic Dunhill aquarium lighters from the 1950s, writes Nicholas Wells Smoking fashion Both sides of an aquarium lighter for sale at Woolley and Wallis’ design sale on October 16 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |