The slender bands proclaiming the origin of good cigars are often small pieces of art. The brands of Cuban, Dominican and other Latin American manufacturers proudly present themselves on the cigar bands to witness the quality of the tobaccos. These brands and decorative motifs are also to be found as gilded and embossed vistas on cigar boxes. These decorations aim to please the smoker when he opens a new box, takes out a fresh cigar, cuts and lights it before joyfully leaning back into a leather armchair.

Dirk Prautzsch perpetuates these moments of joy. From bands and vistas decorating cigars and boxes he makes individual images. Thus, he creates unique portraits of various cigar countries and brands. The eye of a passionate smoker comes to rest on manifold cigar worlds: A Latin American Indian looks out from a picture frame, his profile with the characteristic ponytail made from hundreds of Cohiba bands. An aureate vista of the most famous couple in history is framed by different bands of the Romeo y Julieta cigars since the 1920s. The heyday of Cuban cigars is represented by colourful bands from manufacturers long gone, composed in a golden frame along with a gorgeous lithograph of angelic female characters.

These images are sought after by passionate “afficionados”; men who want to equip a classy cigar lounge or furnish a private smoking room. Here, even the ephemeral joy of smoking can become a lasting memory: As a decorative collection of cigar bands of carefully chosen and smoked favourites – a trophy of the passion for cigars.