Description

Pyrogen – Antique matchholder

This small silver-patinated bronze vase is in a distinct kantharos style. A kantharos is a deep, handled vase used for drinking wine in ancient Greece.

In fact, this tiny vase conceals a function typical of Belle Époque smoking accessories: a pyrogen, or matchholder.

Much more than a simple desk accessory, it is a beautiful curiosity piece that seems straight out of a cabinet from the Symbolist era with its fantastical bestiary!

The body of the bronze is entirely worked with a cross-hatched grain, formerly used as a scraper to strike matches. It serves as a backdrop to a scene as rare as it is fascinating:

An ancient hunter armed with his spear.

A nocturnal and mysterious bestiary: a beautiful bat with outstretched wings, a sinuous snake, a beetle and a snail, as well as a surprising heraldic dolphin with a monster’s head.

Two tall handles accentuated by curious, moustachioed masks, lending the object the air of a repurposed ancient relic.

Inside lies its original silver coloured metal cup, a perfect fit, which was used to store the matches. The whole piece rests on an elegant round base in black Bakelite, typical of the fine craftsmanship of the early 20th century.

Material: Bronze with a silver-coloured patina, removable silver-coloured metal cup (likely brass), base in Bakelite or Ebonite.

Dimensions: Height 13.2 cm - Neck diameter 4.3 cm - Weight 440g

Period: Circa 1900–1920.

Condition: Beautiful patina. A small chip beneath the base (invisible when displayed), a testament to its history.