Product Description
This exquisite sterling silver vesta case was crafted in Birmingham in 1894 by the renowned silversmiths Deakin & Francis. Measuring 5cm x 4cm, it features intricate hand-engraved foliate scrollwork surrounding a central cartouche, once intended for a monogram. The case is fitted with a hinged lid and striker to the base, serving as a functional and elegant accessory of the Victorian gentleman’s era. Vesta cases, also known as match safes, were essential for carrying matches safely before the widespread use of lighters.
Today, this ornate piece represents not only fine craftsmanship and practical design but also a tangible connection to late 19th-century social rituals and daily life.
If This Piece Could Talk backstory
It would whisper of smoky Victorian parlours, where gentlemen struck their matches to light cigars after supper. It would tell of journeys carried in a waistcoat pocket, brought out with pride at the strike of flint. It would remember names and initials once intended for its central cartouche, marking it as a personal token. Above all, it would remind us of an era when even the simplest tools were elevated into works of artistry and elegance.