Antique 1890s Mr Punch Puppet Character Pocket Match Safe / Holder / Vesta Case with Hinged Bottom Silverplated Brass 

ON AUCTION IS THIS ANTIQUE MR. PUNCH MATCH SAFE (ALSO CALLED A VESTA CASE) SHAPED LIKE THE TRADITIONAL PUNCH AND JUDY PUPPET CHARACTER. THE MATCH SAFE IS MADE OF METAL (APPEARS TO BE SILVERPLATED BRASS OR PEWTER) AND WEIGHS 35G.
 
MR. PUNCH HAS HIS CHARACTERISTIC POINTY HAT, PROMINENT CROOKED NOSE, AND JUTTING CHIN.
 
FEATURES A HINGED BOTTOM LID TO HOLD SHORT WOODEN MATCHES, WITH A TEXTURED STRIKING SURFACE ON THE SIDE.
 
PRODUCED DURING THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES (CIRCA 18901900) IN BRITAIN. USED IN THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES TO KEEP WOODEN VESTAS (SHORT MATCHES) DRY AND SAFE IN A POCKET.

Punch and Judy was an 18th 1nd 19th century English puppet show (First appearing in England in 1662) featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other character who usually falls victim to the intentional violence of Punch's slapstick. Punch and Judy was a staple of the British seaside scene. 

The show was performed by a single puppeteer inside the booth, known since Victorian times as a "professor" or "punchman", and assisted sometimes by a "bottler" who corrals the audience outside the booth, introduces the performance, and collects the money ("the bottle"). The bottler might also play accompanying music or sound effects on a drum or guitar, and engage in back chat with the puppets, sometimes repeating lines that may have been difficult for the audience to understand. 

DIMENSIONS: 55MM HIGH
TOTAL WEIGHT 35G
 
CONDITION: IN GOOD CONDITION.
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE VARIOUS VINTAGE JEWELLERY AND JEWELLERY TRINKET BOXES ON AUCTION THIS WEEK.
 
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NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY IF YOU DONT WANT TO STAY UP LATE IN WINTER.
 
PLEASE TRY AND PAY WITHIN 48 HOURS. THIS ALLOWS ME TO SEND MY ITEMS WITH COURIER BEFORE THE WEEKEND STARTS TO CLEAR EACH WEEK BEFORE THE NEXT WEEKS LISTINGS.
 
I TRY TO LIST A VARIETY OF ITEMS EACH WEEK SO YOU MAY TRY AND COMBINE A FEW ITEMS FOR EACH WEEK. I PREFER NOT TO COMBINE LISTINGS OVER DIFFERENT WEEKS.