Tinderbox, striker, flint, damper, candle stick
Tinderbox, damper, candle stick lid, flint, striker
Name/Title
Tinderbox, striker, flint, damper, candle stickEntry/Object ID
2025.1.270Description
Small tin pan with a turned wood handle. The set includes a tight fitting 'damper' lid and candle stick to rest on the top of the pan. Also a metal striker and a flint.Context
In the 18th and 19th centuries, when fires were needed in rooms other than the kitchen, a tinder box was used to keep the tinder (old linen, rags, frayed hemp ropes, leaves etc) very dry and ready for use. The contents were stored in layers, with the tinder at the bottom, then the damper lid, then the flint and striker and then the candle holder top. The fit of the lids was tight and was important to put out the residue of the tinder when necessary. The iron striker or "strike-a-light" may have been made from an old file and bent into a 'u-shape' to give a better grip when striking against the flint. There was quite an art to lighting a fire with a tinderbox and matches as we know didn't come into existence till the reign of Queen Victoria.Category
Domestic, Country & Rural activities