Here is a very unusual antique treen ''Go to Bed'' (match box container). Made from coquilla nut. The finial, top and centre all unscrew. The first match boxes were designed to hold a bottle of Sulphuric Acid in the centre with Potassium Chlorate coated matches around the edge. These matches would ignite when dipped in the acid.By the 1830s, friction matches had taken their place, and hence, there was no need for acid. The boxes changed style to have single compartments with an external striker. The bottom of the box would have glass paper recessed into the bottom, or the base would have grooved circular lines to create friction. Very occasionally, there was a third design made by Berry, a similar example of which is photographed here. On the top of the box are two parallel discs: the lower disc forms part of the lid and the upper disc can be moved up or down on a short threaded spindle to vary the space between the discs. The discs are covered in sand paper. The gap would ...