A copper and abalone cigarette box attributed to A E Jones, Circa 1920.

The cigarette box is very similar to other cigarette boxes made by A E Jones with riveted construction and a cedar wood lining. The box is definitely later and is a bit of a hybrid between Arts and Crafts styling and Art Deco. The faux hammering harks back to the Arts and Crafts period while the design of the hinge straps is quite Art Deco. The two abalone roundels are in good condition and really make this a lovely decorative piece.

What helps to date the piece is an inscription on the inside of the lid from 1924. I’m not normally a fan of inscriptions but this one is very interesting. The box was obviously a prize in a competition held by the L & L P S in 1924. I am pretty sure this was the Leicester and Leicestershire Photographic Society and H. Van Wadenoyen was Hugo Van Wadenoyen (Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society). An interesting chap and more details below on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_van_Wadenoyen