A wonderfully cast Iron spill vase in the shape of a riding boot, accompanied on its exquisitely chased plinth by an ornate candlestick. Spill vases were a common sight in the 18th and 19th centuries as people needed a way to easily light their pipes or other light sources. These objects were usually kept on a mantel above a fireplace and would hold many thin wooden strips called 'spills' which were used for transferring a flame from either a fireplace, or, as in this case, a candle, and bringing it to the bowl of the user's pipe to light it. The growing popularity of instant matches at the end of the 19th century and onward eventually eliminated the demand for spill vases.

Russia or Prussia - Mid 19th Century

L: 5 7/8 in., (14.9 cm.); H: 3 5/8 in., (9.2 cm.)