Doyle Auction Offers Sterling Silver Matchsafes and Card Cases

A Gorham sterling silver matchsafe will be offered in this upcoming Doyle auction, which highlights the Joseph & Miriam Poser Collection of Silver Card Cases, Vesta & Matchsafes. In 1831, Henry L. Webster and Jabez Gorham founded the Gorham Manufacturing Company to produce high-quality silver spoons. The company went on to become one of the most famous Art Nouveau silverware manufacturers in history. Introduced in the 1890s, the offered matchsafe depicts a school of fish swimming between waves.

William B. Kerr’s novelty matchsafe is another sterling silver piece highlighted in the event. Silversmith William B. Kerr was active in the 1880s. During his long career, Kerr constantly experimented with elaborate patterns in the Art Nouveau style. The available lot, which resembles a coiled rattlesnake, is a fine example of his work from circa 1900. The auction also offers a Victorian/ Edwardian sterling silver vesta case, a set of Chinese export silver card cases, and a 20th-century matchsafe from Unger Bros. Interested collectors can browse the full listings and register to bid on Doyle’s website.