Aldo Tura mid-century lacquered goatskin tobacco box

Aldo Tura for Macabo pipe form tobacco & match box, lacquered goatskin and brass, Italy 1950s

A sculptural piece of mid-century Italian whimsy: this tobacco and match container by Aldo Tura for Macabo takes the exaggerated form of a smoker’s pipe, its swollen bowl and curved stem wrapped in Tura’s signature lacquered goatskin parchment. The mottled tortoiseshell-toned hide is stretched taut over the wooden form and finished to a deep, glossy shine: no two pieces from this production are ever identical, so the tonal variation seen here is part of its individual character.

Brass hardware defines the piece throughout: a hinged brass cap tops the main bowl, originally for tobacco, while a smaller hinged brass-collared spout holds the match compartment, complete with a striking surface. The curved “stem” terminates in a horn-toned finial for lifting the whole piece. The underside bears the maker’s stamped mark, “Cusano Milanino, Italia,” confirming manufacture at Tura’s Lombardy workshop.

About Aldo Tura

Aldo Tura remains one of the great eccentrics of Italian design: his output, spanning bar carts, cabinets, lamps, and barware, resists easy categorization, borrowing from Art Deco, Baroque, and Surrealist sensibilities alike. Lacquered goatskin was his constant material obsession, and pieces like this one, made for everyday ritual but sculpted like objets d’art, are among his most collected today.

Dimensions

H 20 x D 22 x W 11 cm
H 7⅞ x D 8⅔ x W 4⅓ in

Condition

Vintage, consistent with age: brass in original patina, goatskin with natural tonal variation typical of the material and technique.

Wear consistent with age and use.