Late Victorian Black Enamelled Metal Vesta Box with Inset Photographic Portrait

An antique metal matchbox sleeve or vesta box of rectangular form, dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. The piece is constructed from metal with a black japanned or enamelled finish, embellished with cream-coloured transfer-printed Neo-classical decoration. The front panel features a central oval inset containing a photographic portrait of a seated woman, possibly a tintype, set within an ornate frame. This frame is flanked by two seated female figures playing wind instruments, a lidded urn, and two standing figures at the base. The reverse side depicts a classical scene of a draped woman standing beneath a tree next to an amphora. The spine is decorated with scrolling foliate motifs and a central oval cameo profile of a woman. The box retains its inner cardboard match drawer, which contains a number of vintage wooden matches with pink striking tips. The base of the front panel is printed with the mark PAT. 13773.