Cigar Case

Bamboo cigar case. Tobacco was introduced by the Spanish at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries and its consumption soon spread throughout the whole population, regardless of age or gender. Furthermore, people started to apply it medicinally against many illnesses. The production of tobacco was controlled by the colonial government. This case has been carved in relief, with greatly detailed scenes of everyday life in what seems to be a farming community. Furthermore, this decorative item shows what houses and vegetation looked like in this region during this period.