A very unique and rare 19th century French silver and niello Vesta case dating back to c.1880 with makers mark A. Dubois printed on the inside lip. The design and shape is of a horseshoe, and has beautiful Niello work all over. The front opens to reveal a lovely gilded storage compartment which was once used for matches. The bottom also opens, revealing an internal pipe which runs in the shape of the horseshoe. This would have been used to store the wick, and the wheel/cog on the side would then be rotated to feed it through. An incredible design, with outstanding quality and craftsmanship.
