A Rare Lithographed 19thC Vesta Case; 'With Compliments from Schweppes Ltd'

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Origin: English
Period: Late Nineteenth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1880-90
Height: 2.5 inches
Width: 1.5 inches


The top with an image of a classical woman, the underside with striker, opening to reveal the words; “With Compliments from Schweppes Ltd” to the lid.

The maiden, outstretched with her long and flowing chestnut locks, holds a glass out to the waterfall filling it with Schweppes tonic with one hand and holds a fern to the skies with the other. The overall style and execution of the image, focussing on female beauty, is reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite work, prominent during the period of the cases conception.

The condition of the lithographed image is very good all things considered; the only issue to note is that the hinged lid does not quite shut flush. This could be rectified with careful pressure to one side of the metal if so desired.

Schweppes, a giant in the beverage world since 1783 has produced mainstay products including ginger ale (1870), bitter lemon (1957), and tonic water, the oldest soft drink in the world coming to fruition as early as 1771.

So called after the name of one of the early makers, which was taken from the goddess Vesta, a Roman deity of fire and the hearth, vesta cases came into use around the 1830s and were produced extensively largely between 1890 and 1920. During this period, almost everyone carried matches, so they could light stoves, lanterns and other devices.

With the particularly appealing image to the top and the association with advertising this scarce vesta proves a highly collectable item.

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