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Dog in Feathered Hat and Ruffled Collar Matchsafe, late 19th century; England;
silver; 5.9 x 2.7 x 1.5 cm (2 5/16 x 1 1/16 x 9/16 in. ); Gift of Stephen W. Brener and Carol B. Brener; 1982-23-1324
collection.cooperhewitt.org |
Before matchbooks were common (
they were developed in 1892), here's how you carried around your matches. Friction matches - the kind we know, that you scratch against a surface to ignite - were originally very touchy, and could light up simply from jostling about in your pocket. What better to keep them safe than a metal box? I wonder if any ever lit up inside their box and made an inadvertent handwarmer. If you'd like to learn more about matchsafes, you might enjoy
this site on their history.
This box dates from late 19th century England. The
additional images found at its record page at the Cooper-Hewitt show a dog dressed up in Cavalier-style hat and ruff. Is this meant to be a Cavalier King Charles spaniel?
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