Vintage Art Deco Cigarette Case, Brown Marbled and Cream Lacquer, Striped Design, NOS, Attributed to JUST

Golden veins run through deep brown lacquer, interrupted by the clean discipline of cream stripes.

This new old stock cigarette case balances two moods of Art Deco design: richly marbled colour and sharply ordered lines. Its front combines dark brown marbling with broad cream bands and fine metallic outlines. Across the reverse, the marbled effect takes over, with branching ochre-gold streaks travelling over a glossy brown ground. The pattern is decorative lacquer, not natural stone or enamel.

Opened, the case reveals a bright gold-tone interior and a woven retaining band across one compartment. Vaen’kai Vault’s research attributes this example to JUST, Spain, circa the 1930s. Maker, origin, and date remain research attributions rather than independently verified readings of the photographed interior mark.

The Particulars

• Type: Vintage Art Deco cigarette case
• Maker attribution: JUST, according to the seller’s research
• Origin and period attribution: Spain, circa 1930s, according to the seller’s research
• Stock history: New old stock, represented by the seller as unused vintage inventory
• Finish: Lacquer rather than enamel, as identified by the seller
• Front: Brown marbled decoration, broad cream bands, and fine metallic outlines
• Reverse: Brown marbled lacquer with branching golden-ochre veining
• Interior: Gold-tone finish with woven retaining band
• Metal composition: Unconfirmed; no solid gold or gilding claim
• Condition: Very minimal age-related exterior wear, with localised marks to borders and fittings
• Included: Case only; photographic props excluded

The lacquer retains a glossy appearance, with fine surface marks visible where the light catches it. Close-ups show small dark specks and localised rubbing along the metallic outlines, plus slight wear to the edge catch. The gold-tone interior remains bright, with small scattered marks and localised finish wear at the hinge and band fittings. The woven band sits with some slack in the open photographs; its remaining elasticity has not been established.

NOS describes its unused stock history, not a newly manufactured or entirely age-free object. The case is photographed open and closed, but catch strength and exact carrying capacity have not been tested. The marbled veining is part of the decoration and should not be confused with surface cracking.

A richly patterned pocket relic for a keeper who favours the contrast of precise geometry and restless colour. Carefully nestled in its treasure coffin, a vault relic from Vaen’kai Vault.