Kyriazi Frères Cigarette Tin (Egypt), Early 20th Century

I often go to a nearby junk shop where I am occasionally lucky to find something of interest. One day the owner said that he had something I might find interesting and he showed me this fantastically decorated cigarette tin which I just had to own!

The Kyriazi Brothers were two Greeks who started a tobacco business in Smyrna (now Izmir), but were forced out because of the tobacco monopoly enforced by the Ottoman Empire. They then established a company in Cairo in 1873 and in 1897 they built a factory in the Tewfikieh district (mentioned on the tin) where they employed over 500 workers!

The company became very successful and was know for several cigarette brands, one of which was ‘Special’ (this tin). In 1901 the company exported more than 100 million cigarettes! Egyptian cigarettes were a luxury item and other companies (such as the American Camel) emulated the ‘Middle Eastern look’ by using camels, pyramids etc. in their advertising. After WWI American and European tastes changed and Virginia tobacco became popular and that also meant decline for the Egyptian tobacco industry.

The tin was definitely meant to appeal to a western audience with its air of ‘Middle Eastern mystique’. The lid of the tin is very rich in detail (click to enlarge) with many symbols and little flourishes (pic 2 is a detail from the left part of the lid with a Turkish-looking man with a long pipe and above him, the Kyriazi Frères logo). On the inside, there is a fantastic picture of an alluring and exotic lady blowing smoke in the shape of ‘Kyriazi Frères’ and leaning on a lion holding a packet of tobacco! This picture is sometimes used on the outside of the tin. I have not been able to date the tin, but assume it’s from the 1910’s, but I’ll be happy to learn more, if anyone has additional information.

Size: 14 x 11 x 3 cm. The tin contained 100 cigarettes (stated on the side of the tin).