General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STERLING SILVER

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

6.0 cm

Width

3.5 cm

Height

1.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Environment control

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

RODEN

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

C. 1905+

Canada

ITEM FROM COLLECTION OF DENIS B. ALSFORD (1929-2004). BORN IN BRITAIN, MR. ALSFORD WORKED AT BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL EMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1968, BECOMING WELL KNOWN FIGURE IN CANADIAN MUSEUM COMMUNITY. HE WAS CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS FOR ETHNOLOGY DIVISION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN IN OTTAWA FOR TWENTY YEARS, PLANNED ARTIFACT STORAGE FACILITY IN NEW MUSEUM OF CIVILISATION IN GATINEAU WHICH OPENED IN 1989, & WAS FELLOW OF CANADIAN MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. HIS COLLECTION OF MATCH HOLDERS NUMBERED OVER ONE THOUSAND; HE WAS ACTIVE MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL MATCH SAFE ASSOCIATION & AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS & ARTICLES ON SUBJECT (SEE BIOGRAPHY IN 2004.0024 SUPP. INFO.). EXAMPLE OF CANADIAN MADE MATCH HOLDER, WITH ENAMEL PAINTED SHIELD WITH MAPLE LEAF, SYMBOLIC OF CANADA. RODEN BROS. OF TORONTO OPERATED FROM 1891 TO 1922 & MANUFACTURED WIDE RANGE OF SILVERWARE INCLUDING MATCH HOLDERS, MARKED WITH FIRM'S DISTINCTIVE HALLMARK (REF. 2).

Function

CONTAINER FOR MATCHES WHICH COULD BE USED TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR MELTING SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC. THIS TYPE WOULD BE CARRIED IN POCKET FOR PERSONAL USE.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF SILVER MATCH HOLDER IN U.S. STYLE WITH IMPRESSED ART NOUVEAU DESIGN ON EACH SIDE & ONE SIDE WITH ENAMELLED MAPLE LEAF.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

INCISED LETTERING ON BEZEL ON EACH SIDE READS "STERLING" WITH HALLMARKS

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

SILVER COLOURED

Decoration

FLORAL LINEAR DESIGN ALMOST ENCIRCLES EACH SIDE/MULTICOLOURED PAINTED CREST WITH GREEN MAPLE LEAF ON WHITE BACKGROUND, SURMOUNTED BY CREST