Luxurious silver cigar box with engravings of Oman, made by a British master silversmith
[Engraved silver cigar box commissioned by the Assarain Group of Companies].
The cigar box (15 × 23 x 5 cm) is made of sterling (925) silver, with a map and 2 views of Oman engraved on the polished lid, surrounded by a gilt frame, decorative engraving on the sides, a lined hardwood (mahogany?) inside, hallmarks on the underside. The cigar box is in a protective gold-tooled green morocco box (20 × 27 x 8 cm) with gold clasps, lined with green velvet and a white silk-like fabric.
€ 7,500.00
Beautifully engraved, heavy sterling silver cigar box, with a map of Oman and views of Fort Nizwa and Fort Bahla, two important historic sites in Oman, on the top. The box was made by the workship of master silver- and goldsmith George Grant MacDonald (1947), who also makes silverware for the British royal family. The work was commissioned by Assarain Group of Companies (est. 1975), one of the premier trading and investing organisations in Oman, and probably intended as a gift for a business partner. It appears to be one-of-a-kind, as we have not been able to trace another example on the market.
George Grant MacDonald became well-known internationally in the 1980s, producing work for luxurious retailers around the globe, especially in the Middle East. His craftmanship was royally recognised in 2015, when he received the Royal Warrant by King Charles III (1948, then Charles, Prince of Wales), which meant he was allowed to advertise the fact that he worked for the royal family.
With the name of the company that commissioned the box engraved on a polished silver plaquette nailed to the front of the silver box and gold-printed on the lining of the green morocco box. The corners of the morocco box are very slightly scuffed. The polished top of the silver cigar box is slightly scratched and the silver on the sides has slightly tarnished. Overall in very good condition.
