Featured Chinese Cigarette Holder?

This piece was owned by General Marshall and was possibly bought while he was in China as Special Envoy from 1945-47. It is black lacquer with Chinese designs on each piece. The restoration team put prop cigarettes in the canister (pictured) years ago so we assume this piece has something to do with cigarettes. Would anyone be able to say what this item is and/or went in the other pieces? Thanks!

 

Yes, it does seem to be a smoking set. The item on the right in the first picture held boxed matches. The item in the center might have been an ashtray, but I wouldn't think it a good idea to tap still-glowing ash into a lacquer item. Perhaps for cigar ash? The little item in front, I'm clueless.

 

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Thanks for your help! There are no burn marks anywhere on the set so I assume none of these items were ashtrays.

 

Sometimes these lacquer pieces had metal or glass inserts which got lost, I would think this was the case here, unless the set was meant as decorative only and not for use. Sometimes these groupings can combine pieces from other types of sets in the same decor and missing some as well. The dating would make this a new set when purchased, it's not very old.

 

Searching "lacquer smoking set" yields a number of hits very much like this set. Interestingly, most are saying their sets are Japanese. The round lidded box is called a tabako bon in Japan, for holding either pre-rolled cigarettes or loose tobacco. The round thing on a stem is an ashtray and some show it fitted with a metal insert (which yours may be missing.) Some are calling the little item in front a cigarette holder. And of course, the item on the right is for boxed matches.

Now it is possible that yours was made in China, but keep in mind that General Marshall may have also visited Japan (you'd know better than I) or met with Japanese who gave him this as a gift.

 

I agree, my first glance was perceived as Japanese lacquer pieces. But the decorations are not particularly Japanese, so not sure.

 

Marshall was never stationed in Japan, but his wife Lily did visit quite often for health reasons. From 1902-03 and from 1913-16 Marshall was in the Philippines, from 1924-27 and from 1945-47 Marshall was in China. He or his wife could have gotten this piece at any of those places at anytime, it's impossible to know.

 

Am I correct in thinking that The Marshall House was not open to the public before the 2000's?

Having spent many years in the DC area (thru 1996) and having had many clients in Leesburg, I'm sure I would have visited had the house been open then!

 

Didn't his first wife (Elizabeth?) die in the early 1930s? Did he have a second wife?


EDIT: I should let all of my memories surface before I start to spout them. His second wife was an actress I think - and her reputation was no better than his first wife's. Or at least that is what the Marshalls thought.........

And I think my mother knew him better than my father did - she was with him and a group sent to the UK in the early 1950s. I don't think she was an official part of the delegation, more of an advisor or tag-along.

 

You are correct! Restoration began in 1995 and we opened to the public on Veterans Day, 2005.

 

Yes, Marshall's first wife was Elizabeth Carter Coles, whom he married in 1902 until her untimely death from complications from a surgery in 1927. In 1930, Marshall married Katherine Boyce Tupper and was married to her until his death in 1959.

Katherine was an actress in her early years! In fact, she went to England and became somewhat of a star performing Shakespearean classics. I'm not sure what you mean about Marshall's wives "reputations", but we know he loved them both with undying love for Katherine's children as well.

 

Sorry - somewhere on this forum is a thread about snobs, and I seem to have let MY snobbish tendencies out..............he came from an illustrious old family and I know they didn't approve of his first wife.....something about her being a bit too popular with college boys and cadets. And the simple fact the his second wife was an actress - well, actresses were know to be "fast" and not quite respectable back in the day. He did break with some family over his marriages.

On the other hand, I am certain that he loved both of them, I don't think he was the sort of man to "dabble" with women. And if he supported his step children as he supported his wife he must have loved them as well.

I by no means meant to disparage him or his wives..............it was meant more as an observation, frowning more heavily on his family if anyone in particular.

 

Yes, it looks Japanese to me. Probably 1940s.
The dragon design looks Chinese, but is also used in Japan.

 

I think it's Japanese. I've had some of these papier mache desk sets, including ones with fishies.

 

I admire General Marshall for 'breaking' with members of his family because of their uppity disaproval of the women he loved. Because one is popular with the guys when they are young (or older) certainly doesn't mean that they were loose and easy .. Kudos to General Marshall for his dedication and love for his wives .. Joy.

 

AAAAND .. The smoking set is very nice . Joy.

 

I can't pass judgement on THAT one.....because I "broke" with some family when I married! Though I was not the first in the family to marry "down", and certainly not the last! In addition to the "down" part, there were financial aspects that affected other family members as well. But to h@ll with them - love wins out.

Love is about the only thing that will turn a snob into a person..........well, sort of...........................

 

I agree Mansons, love wins out in the end .. it makes one human, and caring. My grandmother was rejected by her entire family when she married my grandfather .. she married "down" as was the term back then ( I absolutely loathe that term) .. they were happy together and she bore 6 children, we never knew of these rejects that were her family. I have no use for people that look down on folks that have little to live on, or work from paycheque to paycheque, not all are like this of course .. but many are. Anyway, Kudo's to the working men and women .. the backbone of the country, .. Joy.