A Dutch tinderbox

A yellow brass tinderbox of Dutch origin. On the borders of the round shaped body figures a steamtrain with carriages and a steamboat. The object can be dated around the second half of the 19th century, when the use of steam  for propelling heavy engines became popular in the Netherlands and abroad.

A tinderbox, or patch box, is a container made of wood or metal containing flint, firesteel, and tinder (typically charcloth and finely divided fibrous matter such as hemp), used to set fire to a cigar or pipe. Tinderboxes fell out of general usage when friction matches were invented.

Provenance
Private Dutch collection

Size
Height 11 cm, width 4 cm.

Price              
€ 90,-

Condition
Good, complete with chain, signs of usage