Cigarette holder (boquilla) made from a pencil

Name/Title

Cigarette holder (boquilla) made from a pencil

Entry/Object ID

2025.2.9

Description

Short cigarette holder improvised from a wooden pencil. Natural varnished‑wood hexagonal/round barrel with the painted ferrule (metal band, with banded gold and dark printing) retained at the mouth end; the eraser and its core have been removed and the barrel hollowed through to form a tube. The opposite end tapers slightly. The ferrule end is worn and partly crushed/splayed from use.

Use

Made by Anna Veltfort or her friends as a cigarette holder in the late-1960s.

Collection

Anna Veltfort collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.2

Source or Donor

Anna Veltfort

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

Maker: Improvised/handmade; individual maker unidentified. (Repurposed from a manufactured pencil; pencil brand not legible.) Date: late-1960s Place of Origin: Havana

Materials

Material Notes

Materials: Wood (pencil barrel) with varnish/paint; metal ferrule (brass‑colored with painted bands). Technique: Hand‑modified manufactured pencil — eraser removed and barrel bored/hollowed to make a smoking mouthpiece.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Anna Veltfort

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

production, use

Place

City

New York City

State/Province

New York

Country

U.S.A.

Continent

North America

Notes

preservation

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

December 1, 2025

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 10, 2026