Rare Early-mid 19th C American Antique Tooled Tin Match Holder, Wheat/star David

RARE EARLY-MID 19TH CENTURY AME RI CAN ANTIQUE TOOLED, HAND-CUT, HAMMERED & SOLDERED HANGING TIN MATCH HOLDER, W/LOWER COMPARTMENT, DECORATED W/ BUNDLE OF WHEAT/6-POINTED. [Evidence previous mustard yellow painted surfaces]. Early-mid 19th century Ame ri can antique primitive hand tooled tinware & decorative metalware. 8″ Height x 5″ Width x 1 34 Depth. Found here in New England in southern New Hampshire. It remains as it was discovered in the southern New Hampshire 18th century, early post and chestnut beam barn, still hanging by an old plastered wall, where it had hung on an upright beam on a cut nail in a small room with a wood stove, earlier used as a workshop. It remains as it was found, with remnants and evidence of having been previously decorated with mustard yellow paint. It’s unclear if this painted surface had completely failed and was at some point dry-scrapped to reveal the hand tooled edges and especially the hand tooled image of the Star of David nestled among a bundle of wheat in the center of the tin match holder’s back wall. It’s perforated at the top with a drilled hole, where it was designed to hang on a nail on a wall or beam. The upper perimeter of the piece is hand cut and has a distinctive floral design profile, with hammered, tooled slots that were struck at an angle, populating its curvilinear edges. The interior of the back tin sidewall is decorated with a tooled, relaxed bundle of wheat grass with a distinctive and singular 6-pointed Star of David nestled among the stalks of wheat in the center. This no doubt was a reference to scripture and to the Old Testament, where scripture informed nearly every resident of late 18th and 19th century early New England and often decorative accessories, such as this, visually referenced scripture and in this case The Star of David, which much like the matches (strikes) it would have contained, would shed much needed spiritual light on their hard-scrabble, meager early New England, rural existences, especially in the trying, often disease ridden cold, winter months, where literally survival and not much else, was the primary concern. An early New England cultural artifact from pre-Civil War New Hampshire. Good to Very Good overall antique condition. 100% original antique condition. The item “RARE EARLY-MID 19TH C AMERICAN ANTIQUE TOOLED TIN MATCH HOLDER, WHEAT/STAR DAVID” is in sale since Saturday, April 4, 2020. This item is in the category “Antiques\Primitives”. The seller is “modsanctuary” and is located in Milford, New Hampshire. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Evidence of previously painted surfaces: Once painted in mustard yellow paint
American: Antique
Region of Origin: US-Northeast
100% original antique condition: Untouched & undisturbed
Rare: Very scarce & hard-to-find
Size Type/Largest Dimension: Small (Up to 14in.)
Style: Naive, Primitive, Americana
Listed By: Dealer or Reseller
Maker: Unknown American maker
Material: Metal
Original/Reproduction: Original
Date of Creation: 1800-1899
Type: Tools
Color: Silver
Signed: Unsigned
Dimensions:: 8″ Height x 5″ Width x 1 34″ Depth
Category: Antiques
Early to mid 19th century: Circa 1840-1865
Unpainted tin surfaces: Tooled/hammered edge
Wheat staff & Star of David design: Perforated top hole for wall mounting