Lost art is brought back to life for Davidoff's special-edition humidors

Straw marquetry was a lost art, but Lison de Caunes has brought it back to life for Davidoff's special-edition humidors, the first of which will be shown to the public at Art Basel this month. The exterior is unvarnished and yet lends a high sheen that shimmers with the light, which de Caunes says is "the best quality of straw marquetry".

The humidor pictured is one of 10 limited-edition pieces priced at HK$178,500 each that make up the first "season" of the collection. "This season represents the fresh straw, which I chose to represent with a green leaf motif," de Caunes says. "The following season will be in browns and golds to symbolise the cigar itself - that will be presented in June. The last season, which will be released at the end of the year, will be in blacks and greys to represent the smoke."

The humidors each take one week to be handcrafted by the artist. Due to the tinting and handcrafting process, each one is completely unique. Rather than opt for the usual cedar wood favoured by other brands, Davidoff chose Okoume wood for the humidor interiors, which have no scent and therefore won't affect the cigars' aroma.