19th Century Spill Vase Ceramic Fish

Porcelain figural fish shaped spill vase, ca 1800's. A spill vase was originally intended to hold tapers or "spills", thin wooden sticks or tightly curled strands of paper, then later matches. A spill vase was usually kept on the mantelpiece and was filled with spills used to transfer fire from the fireplace to candles, lamps, a pipe or a cigar. Commercial matches, which first surfaced in England during the 1820s, were a relatively expensive commodity until the late 19th century, and spill was therefore a more cost effective solution. This is a beautiful, whimsical example and shows some wear with a large chip on the mouth.

Approximate dimensions: 1" x 3"

Material: Ceramic

Country of Origin: USA