A box preserves more than the cigars it holds. Its structure, its papers and their arrangement are part of the material culture of the cigar and offer the collector a vocabulary of their own.

Habanos calls the traditional elements of the presentation habilitaciones. Among them it distinguishes the outer cover (cubierta), the inner vista and the filetes that run along the edges. It also describes the bofetón as a protective sheet and the band as part of the cigar’s presentation.

A photograph of the lid and another of the interior preserve different elements. The vista, the edges and the protective sheet can be lost or altered even while the box remains in use. Describing their condition and noting repairs helps to preserve the material history of the packaging together with the information about the cigars it accompanied.