For sale is a gorgeous vintage brass vesta case. This vesta has been made in the shape of a bird and has plenty of detailed engravings to create the birds feathers, bringing life to this special piece.
The middle of the vesta opens to reveal an opening where you can place matches. It fits in the hand with ease and makes a satisfying 'snap' shut sound when it is closed. 15g.
This vesta measures 4cm in length, and 4.3cm in width.
Box display only
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Vesta was the Roman goddess of hearth and home, therefore the match company Swan named a brand of their short matches ‘Vestas’, which they began producing in 1906. A 'match' was known as a 'vesta' up until the twentieth century when 'match' became the favoured term. These short matches were not favourable for the common tasks of stove lighting or lighting candles for use in the home, however the shorter matches were perfect for lighting cigarette and pipes, and were less cumbersome to carry.
Vesta cases were introduced in the early 19th century following the manufacture of friction ‘lucifer’ matches in 1826. These matches could ignite spontaneously from the heat of friction, often explosively, and thus were a potential danger if carried loosely in the pocket. The inside of the vesta case would often be gilded to protect the silver from the sulphurous head of the match, which would otherwise tarnish the silver. Other features, such as a cheroot cutter, were sometimes included.
They were carried predominantly by men- as smoking was then considered to be a masculine habit- and placed in the waistcoat pocket or on the end of a 'Double Albert' chain, which held a pocket watch on one side and a vesta case on the other.
Although vesta cases were restricted in size because of their function, their decoration varied enormously, from the very plain to the heavily embossed and chased decorated. The majority of vesta cases have a hinged cover and a ring loop attachment to allow suspension. Many examples have a serrated lower border to allow matches to be struck alight.
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Condition
This lovely vesta is in great condition. Please always review all the photos thoroughly before buying and please DM us with any questions you might have!
Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available with combined shipping on multiple purchases. DM us before purchasing if you have any questions and we will be happy to answer! Items are shipped between 1-2 working days and you will be provided with a tracking number.
Local duty taxes: there may be taxes payable on goods delivered from the UK to worldwide destinations - please note that it is the customer's responsibility to pay these charges.
Feedback and Returns
If you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason please contact us as soon as possible so we can help you with any problem you might have.
Customer satisfaction is our main priority and we want all our customers to be 100% happy! Kim is a trusted and experienced seller with many happy customers, you are in safe hands!
My order is damaged upon delivery: We make every effort to avoid goods being damaged by using protective filling for all our packages and boxes for our larger items. However, there may be rare occasions when despite this, goods are damaged during the delivery process. If you receive an item which has been damaged, please contact us immediately!
If you need to return something please contact us so that we can provide you with a return shipping address. Buyer is responsible for paying return shipping charges.
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Thank you for looking!
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