Seldom sparing with elegant decoration--even for a functional household item--Wedgwood sho...

Seldom sparing with elegant decoration--even for a functional household item--Wedgwood showcases no less than six sprig relief groups on this 3 3/4 inch domed match holder. The small scale of the piece, along with the rich dark blue ground, gives unusual prominence to the reliefs, each elegantly bracketed by trellis devices.

Common belief among dealers and collectors postulates that the hollow spool-shape knop served as a socket to hold a small candle, and that the tiny decorated hole allowed one to keep a single match handy. With candle, the entire vessel could be carried as a sort of night light. One more functional element can be found under the base, a ribbed surface for striking.

The match holder form was something of an art with Wedgwood. The domed shape seen here is...

The match holder form was something of an art with Wedgwood. The domed shape seen here is the most elaborate.  A short, open cylinder with striker foot is the most common shape.  We also find rectangular covered boxes and flat top lidded cylinders, but none provide the opportunities for display found on this piece. Subjects with original dates of design follow.

Lid: "Friendship Consoling Affliction" or "The Weeping Bride" (modelled by Lady Templeton, c.1787); "Baby Cupids" (date unknown); unknown variant on "The Bourbonnais Shepherd".

Cylinder: "Nike and Warrior Meeting at a Statue of Athena, Nike Carries Palm Branch to Symbolize Victory" (late 1770's); "The Archers"(date unknown); "Soldier Bringing the News of the Death of Patroclus to Achilles" (c.1780).