Reaching the age of thirty-nine has a good many advantages. I can, frankly, see why Jack Benny remained thirty-nine for the remainder of his life. Perhaps I will, too. It should be fairly easy as long as the makers of facial moisturizer and auburn hair dye continue to stay in business.
So, since the world didn’t come to an end today, I thought I’d share with you one of the gifts that I received from my mother and father for my recent birthday. He’s a Vesta Case, and he’s very cute.
Vesta Cases, also known as Vesta Boxes and match Safes were made , primarily, from the 1830s to the 1920s to hold “vestas,” short matches made by a company who borrowed their name from the Roman goddess Vesta, the deity of fire. These cases kept the matches dry and contained. Since matches were a very integral part of daily life during a period where fire was the primary source of light and heat, keeping them dry and handy was pretty important.
This little sterling silver Vesta takes the form of a sweet-faced terrier who is, of course, Mr. Punch’s Dog Toby. Sorry for the slightly blurry pictures, but it’s rather difficult to take pictures of small, shiny objects. Believe me, I’m surrounded by small, shiny objects and have tried to photograph all of them at some point. Nevertheless, you can see how handsomely made he is. And, look! He’s got lovely, sparkly green eyes! I find these especially pleasing since my Bertie’s eyes flash green in the light.
Having been made in the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century, he was built to last and shows no evidence of his age. I find this to be hopeful. I hope I stay as well preserved by the time I get to my next thirty-ninth birthday.
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