This is a late Victorian / early Edwardian Silver Plate & inlaid Banded Agate vesta or match safe, almost certainly of British manufacture (prob. Scotland), & dating to around 1890 - 1910.

The vesta is square in form, with a hinged lid, an inset striker to the base, and a loop on one edge with an attached suspension ring to enable hanging from an Albert or watch chain etc..

The front of the case has been beautifully chased, with the lid having a Celtic Knot design, and the body having a Thistle leaf design with inset Banded Agate 'Thistles'.

The rear and sides of the case are plain.

The two inlaid thistles are each made up of two pieces of Banded Agate, with each piece having varying shades of Blues, Greys, & whites. One Agate roundel is missing, although this would be relatively easy to replace.

Condition, with the exception of the above mentioned roundel, is Very Good. The rear of the case has a very shallow bruise & some age related scratching. The hinge & sprung closure are fine, and the case is of a high quality and thick plate, as there is no plate loss. Overall, very good for a 110 - 20 year old case - Please see magnified photos.

The case is larger than the typical Vesta of this period (which were also predominantly rectangular in form) and measures approx 1 7/8" square(approx 4.8cm square).