Striking a Balance

This odd looking artefact from a bygone era shows how a Hāwera business struck a balance between advertising and functionality. This ceramic match striker, which looks a little like a large hollow golf ball stuck on a saucer, was imported by Frederick Silson, who ran an earthenware, glassware and chinaware importing business in Hāwera from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Those wanting to light a match needed to simply pluck one from the central storage hollow, strike it on the dimpled surface of the bulb, and then place the used match in the tray.

This striker was made by the Derbyshire firm of Lovatt and Lovatt which produced domestic, industrial and art pottery at the lower end of the price range. Surviving examples show their strikers were used by a variety of firms to advertise their wares.