+Kellner Brothers Vienna 1885 Austrian Vesta Tinder Box In .800 Silver With Knife

Mechanical vesta case designed by the Kellner Brothers

Beautiful antique fusee vesta tinder case with wick, created in Vienna Austria for the Kellner Brothers Co. around the 1880's. It was crafted during the Austro-Hungarian empire period in solid .800/.999 silver standard with high polished finish. Very interesting multifunctional piece since is fitted with many elements such; a seven barrels hinged pressure lid door for match storage, a sliding compartment to slide the wick, a rotating screw for the wick and a hidden retractable short knife. It is fastened by eight rivets in the center of the lid, with the GPT monogram surmounted by a five-point ducal crown in high relief.

Weight: With all parts together, is 61.95 Grams, (39.71 Dwt).

Measurements: 60 mm by 36 mm by 14 mm (2.36 x 1.42 x 0.55 Inches).

Hallmarks: Stamped with Austrian marks; twice with the A for the city of Vienna, the maker's mark AH, the Austro-Hungarian mark for small objects (1867-1922) of the dog facing to the right inside a lozange cartouche with the number 3 and an A for the Viennese assay of the .800/.999 silver and signed with incuse lettering, "GEBR KELLNER VORM: GEBR MAURER WIEN", (Kellner Brothers before Maurer Brothers).

Note: The Kellner brothers took over the business of the Maurer brothers in 1880. The company was located in Praterstraße 17 in Vienna's 2nd district. The partnership was composed by the brothers Maximilian, Arnold and Heinrich Kellner. In May 1930, before Maximilian moved there with his family, the Vienna office was closed. In 1938 all properties and assets from the family were confiscated by the third Reich.

Note: We known the existence of an identical plain case made in .900 silver (our is .800), but only stamped with the name of the Kellner Brothers and the mark G A S in reference to the silversmith Georg Adam Scheid. Our Vesta case is marked for the silversmith AH, unknown to us but possibly in reference to August Hartner (active in Vienna 1867-1922). Since our box has the names of the Kellner Brothers and that of the Maurer Brothers, we can infer that our box was made immediately after 1880, the year the Kellner's acquired the company from the Maurer. In this sense we are sure that our box was made first and the G A S stamped box is a later production or a copy made by Georg Adam Scheid, or maybe vice versa!, but the GAS company was founded two years later, in 1882.

Literature: Eric Schaling, George Adam Scheid, A Remarkable Viennese Silversmith 1838-1921, 2018. Pp-74 for the hallmark illustrated.

Collateral: It is accompanied by a presentation jewelry pouch.

Condition: The overall condition of this piece is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the silver. All parts are secured in the settings. This vesta case has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.

INVENTORY REF: D082823ACNH/1.787