Striking Antique Match Holder in the form of a Scottish Highland Guard sitting upon his Marching Drum

THE STORY - This wonderful Match Holder is cast from bronze and would have been originally covered in a gilt lacquer, which understandably has been more or less rubbed off with time. The Match Holder is in the form I believe of a Scottish Royal Highland Guard wearing his bearskin and plume, his kilt and sporran, and is seated resting upon his Marching Drum. In his raised hand he looks to be holding a vessel into which is the perfect aperture to put a match making it look as if he is holding alight a torch. This good fellow would date to the Victorian era circa 1870 and he would have been used both as a match holder, a Go To Bed and possibly as a Vesta although it is not obvious to me where the matches would have been struck possibly on his Bearskin. He certainly would have been a table Match Holder, his head is hinged on the back so it opens up for the matches to be kept both dry and handy. And how I love his jolly face and all his wonderful little details, like the garter on his socks best seen in the 4th photo, his dear Sporran, his amulets and those two little buttons on the back of his jacket. He carries no foundary mark, although I have seen other similar examples of Soldiers I have never seen another Scottish Guard

AGE - Circa 1870

CONDITION - He is in good condition, as I have already mentioned the original gilt lacquer has all but worn off. Also at the neck of the good man where it joins the body there is an area where the bronze has been chipped away which I hope you can see in the final three photos. And it appears he originally stood on a felted base.

DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Height 4" / 10cm, Width 2&1/4" / 5.5cm, Depth 1&1/2" / 4cm