Beschreibung:

A steel and fruitwood tinder pistol, or table 'strike-a-light', English, circa 1750 Signed 'I. Savige, W'hampton' Having a fruitwood butt with bulbous end, carved on its upper face with grooves, the lockplate enclosing a match compartment and issuing a short arm terminating in a simple candle socket, the lockplate fitted to the left with a hinged door with shaped iron catch, and engraved 'I. SAVIGE / W. HAMPTON', mounted to the other side with exposed iron mechanism of lock, sear and trigger, and with iron cock and frizzen, all raised on an inverted 'T'-shaped stand, 18cm wide, together with a steel and walnut pocket tinder pistol, or 'strike-a-light', English or Continental, circa 1790, with retractable trigger, 9.5cm wide , (2) Fußnoten Illustrated: The pocket example is illustrated in J. Caspall, Fire & Light in the Home pre-1820 (2000), p. 36, Figure 54. On the 12th April 1760, John Savage of Wolverhampton, a brazier, took John Parry as an apprentice [The National Archives, Kew, Board of Stamps: Apprenticeship Books, Series IR 1]. According to the Gentleman's Magazine of March 1770, John Savage would eventually be declared bankrupt. Literature: Two tinder pistols by J. Savige - one of iron and the other of brass - were in the collection of the Bryant & May Museum. Their 1926 catalogue (p. 79) lists as Number 1067, 'Tinder-pistol (length 7.5 ins.) of iron, with carved wooden butt; large candle-socket and tinder-receptacle at side; body engraved; inscribed on side, "J. Savige, W'hampton"; 18th century. England.' The 1928 supplement to this catalogue, compiled after the Bryant & May Museum acquired the collection of Mr J. H. Daniels, lists (p. 265) as Number 1067a, 'Tinder-pistol (length 7 ins.) of brass, with mechanism and foot of iron and butt of wood; large candle-socket and tinder-compartment at side; lid of latter stamped "J. Savige, W. Hampton"; an uncommon type; ? early 18th century. England.'