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Paris art nouveau silver vesta case, maker Charles Murat
``Small items mark`` for Paris. 0.800, used after 1838, struck twice.
The maker ``CM``, one ``en losange``.
Charles Murat, 62 Rue des Archives, Paris, who was active until about 1900.Murat exhibited and received prizes at the Universal Exhibitions of 1855, 1862, 1867, in Philadelphia in 1876 and in Paris in 1878.
``Vesta cases, vesta boxes, or pocket match safes or matchsafes were small portable boxes made in a great variety of forms with snapshut covers to contain vestas (short matches) and keep them dry.
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), they came into use around the 1830s and were produced extensively between 1890 and 1920. During this period, almost everyone carried strike anywhere matches, so they could light stoves, lanterns and other devices. Early matches were unreliable and prone to ignite from rubbing on one another or spontaneously. Accordingly, most people carried a match safe to house their matches. Wealthy people had match safes made of gold or silver, while common folk had ones made of tin or brass.``