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treasure

At some point before my Grandma died she passed on to me this lovely carved matchbox. I believe she said it belonged to her mother, though I am now uncertain–ah, feckless youth, you paid too little attention.

I can’t bring myself to carry such a beautiful and fragile thing with me, but I have finally put some matches in it and will use it gently to light candles in my room.

It is truly amazing to me that such a thing even could be carved, much less that it would be done. The lid has very fine grooves in the top and fits perfectly with the matching grooves in the box. The fine carving of the top and even the ornamentation of the back and inset striker area are all amazing to me. It is an incredible piece of work.

If anyone has a clue about the history or provenance of such specialized little carved boxes, I’d be very happy to hear.

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