{"id":14096,"date":"2022-08-29T11:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T09:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=34011"},"modified":"2022-08-29T11:17:11","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T09:17:11","slug":"collecting-vesta-cases","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/collecting-vesta-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Collecting vesta cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Malsom\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 29 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Small but perfectly formed, vesta cases were first created in the early 19th century, following the manufacture of friction \u2018Lucifer\u2019 matches in the 1820s. These matches could ignite spontaneously from the heat of friction, making it dangerous to carry them loose in a pocket. They also needed to be kept dry, so compact vesta cases were created to hold enough matches for a day\u2019s smoking.<\/p>\n

\u2018Vesta was the Roman goddess of hearth and home,\u2019 explains Andrew Campbell, founder and owner of AC Silver. \u2018The match company Swan named a brand of their short matches \u2018Vestas\u2019, which they began producing in 1906. A \u2018match\u2019 was known as a \u2018vesta\u2019 up until the 20th century when \u2018match\u2019 became the favoured term.\u2019<\/p>\n

Most vesta cases have a serrated lower border for striking matches on. \u2018The inside of the case would often be gilded to protect the silver from the sulphurous head of the match, which would otherwise tarnish the metal,\u2019 adds Andrew. \u2018Other features, such as a cheroot cutter, were sometimes included, too.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Rare novelty running pig dating from 1883, via Steppes Hill Farm Antiques.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Vesta cases were created in a specific time frame when matches were a necessity, but they became obsolete shortly afterwards when, in the early 20th century, vesta cases were replaced with throwaway paper \u2018matchbooks\u2019 with \u2018tear-off\u2019 matches and pocket-sized petrol lighters (invented by Louis V Aronson in 1926). \u2018During the Second World War, the popularity of lighters rose as soldiers found they lasted a long time and were easy to refill,\u2019 explains Andrew. \u2018Thus began the demise of the vesta case. This makes them especially collectable.\u2019<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> everything you need to know about silver<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not expensive to start collecting vesta cases. You can pick up a simple Edwardian example for around \u00a320 in an antiques market, but you can pay thousands for a really rare design. An enamelled Punch and Judy tent vesta case by Sampson Mordan & Co fetched \u00a36,500 at Christie\u2019s South Kensington in 1999.<\/p>\n

\u2018The ones that sell really well are the unusual or novelty ones,\u2019 reveals silver dealer Daniel Bexfield. \u2018Sampson Mordan & Co of London made lots of particularly interesting ones, including sentry box-style designs with little soldiers, which are always sought after.\u2019<\/p>\n

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American vesta case dating from the 1890s, modelled on the English golfer Horace G Hutchinson.<\/span><\/figcaption> Heritage Images \/ Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u2018There\u2019s fantastic variety right across the price range \u2013 different shapes and forms,\u2019 reveals silver dealer Alastair Dickenson. \u2018The colourful, enamelled ones tend to be the most desirable. They\u2019re great fun, as well. I\u2019ve seen a footballer\u2019s leg with a football attached to the end, a privy, nude ladies, golfing, fishing and shooting scenes\u2026 there\u2019s something for everyone.\u2019<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> a guide to silver hallmarks<\/a><\/p>\n

Daniel informs us that vesta cases are most certainly back in vogue. \u2018You can\u2019t use safety matches with vesta cases, but they\u2019re quite fashionable again now \u2013 more men are wearing waistcoats, so they want a watch in one pocket and a vesta case in the other.\u2019<\/p>\n

Many of the older Victorian and Edwardian vesta cases were monogrammed with initials, so these particular examples can be presented as lovely gifts if you can find the right letters for a loved one. They\u2019re the perfect size to fit inside a Christmas stocking, too.<\/p>\n

Where to see antique vesta cases<\/h2>\n
  • V&A Museum, London<\/li>\n
  • Ashmolean Museum, Oxford<\/li>\n
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge<\/li>\n<\/ul>

    Where to buy antique vesta cases<\/h2>\n

    The places to discover wonderful, collectable silver vestas <\/em><\/p>\n

    • AC Silver, Newcastle-upon-Tyne<\/li>\n
    • Alastair Dickenson, Surrey<\/li>\n
    • Daniel Bexfield Antiques, London<\/li>\n
    • Piers Rankin Antique Silver, London<\/li>\n
    • William Walter Antiques, London<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n
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      By Molly Malsom Published: Monday, 29 August 2022 at 12:00 am Small but perfectly formed, vesta cases were first created in the early 19th century, following the manufacture of friction \u2018Lucifer\u2019 matches in the 1820s. These matches could ignite spontaneously from the heat of friction, making it dangerous to carry them loose in a pocket. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":14097,"template":"","categories":[1,23],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases.jpg",1600,1200,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases-1024x768.jpg",800,600,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/08\/collecting-vesta-cases.jpg",1600,1200,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Molly Malsom Published: Monday, 29 August 2022 at 12:00 am Small but perfectly formed, vesta cases were first created in the early 19th century, following the manufacture of friction \u2018Lucifer\u2019 matches in the 1820s. These matches could ignite spontaneously from the heat of friction, making it dangerous to carry them loose in a pocket.…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/14096"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}