Hermann Göring's Cigar Box

Sèvres National Manufactory, France, 1943

Hard porcelain with a cobalt-blue background, fine gold decoration, signature painted in gold. Preserved in its original presentation case.

An exceptional cigar box produced by the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres in 1943 for Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. It is one of the rarest examples of the prestigious commissions executed by the French manufactory during the Occupation.

Rectangular in shape with rounded corners, the box rests on four small gilded feet. The lid, entirely covered in a deep cobalt blue, is adorned in the center with a majestic imperial eagle with outstretched wings overlooking two crossed swords, all finely executed in gold. An elegant gray-blue wavy border, accented by a double gold line, frames the composition and highlights the exceptional refinement of this creation.

The interior is decorated with a continuous frieze of gilded leaves on a cobalt blue background. The underside of the lid bears Hermann Göring’s autograph signature, painted in gold, unequivocally attesting to the personal nature of this commission. The reverse side bears the marks of the Sèvres National Manufactory as well as the German inspection marks from the Occupation period.

This box is part of an extremely limited collection of porcelain pieces commissioned by Hermann Göring between 1942 and 1944. Research by historian Marlen Topp has shown that these were personal commissions by the Reichsmarschall, produced under the artistic direction of Nicola Moufang, and not part of a production intended for the SS “Charlemagne” Division, as was once claimed by historiographical tradition.

The Allied bombing raid of April 4, 1943, damaged the factory’s workshops and destroyed a significant portion of the porcelain pieces that were in the kiln. Only a fraction of the planned boxes were ultimately delivered, which explains their extreme rarity today.

Our example is of particular interest since it is preserved in its original presentation case, covered in midnight blue material and fully lined with blue velvet. The condition of this case is exceptional; it rarely accompanies known examples and considerably enhances the historical, heritage, and museum value of the set.

The model is reproduced and studied in the definitive scholarly publication on Göring’s commissions at Sèvres, providing it with first-rate documentation.

Dimensions

Closed box 20 x 15 cm

Cigar box 14.5 x 8.5 cm

Provenance

Personal commission from Hermann Göring.

Private collection.

Bibliography

• Marlen Topp, Sèvres under German Occupation (1940–1944). Hermann Göring’s Commissions, Sèvres. Journal of the Society of Friends of the National Ceramics Museum, No. 24, 2015, pp. 108–117.