Inspired By Art

Davidoff recently presented the third edition of its humidor collection “cave de paille” at Art Basel Miami beach. Created in collaboration with Paris-based artist Lison De Caunes and crafted using the traditional technique of marqueterie de paille (straw marquetry), the collection comes in three pieces.

With these humidors, Davidoff said it is showcasing a craft requiring exceptional thoroughness, imagination and time. De Caunes was the artistic director from the very beginning of this project, with his duties including everything from choosing the shape of the humidor to tailoring the Collection.

Just like the Davidoff master blender, Lison De Caunes epitomises the ‘métier d’art’ by crafting truly exquisite pieces from the most humble and fragile natural ingredient, straw, which, when properly preserved, only becomes more beautiful with time. She also uses straw to draw geometric and organic patterns that are reminiscent of the cigar’s shape and the colours of premium tobaccos aged to their prime.

Each straw is cut to length, hand- flattened with tools made from bone, and then cut and placed side by side on a sheet of paper.

Lison De Caunes utilises a mould made of bronze, specifically created for these masterpieces, to cut the straw into the desired shapes. She then creates the design straw-by-straw in a puzzle-like fashion combining shapes and directions to create an appealing effect of depth which complements the silky and shiny surface.