Bronze Character on Cherry Marble Base, 19th-Century

Pyrogen representing a character in bronze. His face is jovial and he holds a tankard in his left hand. He is screwed on a base in griotte marble.
The scraper is between the shoes.

Period : XIXth century 
Dimensions : Height : 12cm - Diameter of the base : 8cm

Pyrogenes are match holders, objects very widespread before the generalization of lighters, very useful because they can be portable.
In the absence of electricity, they were necessary as well to light a stove as an oil lamp, a candle or simply a pipe.  

It is easy to recognize pyrogenes because they are, for many, provided with a scraper, but all are not it because the sulphurous matches of the time, prohibited today, ignited by friction on any surface, 

This very special part of the pyrogen is often presented in the form of a plate of fine folds or grooves arranged on the whole upper part of the pyrogen, in the direction of the width.
The central hollowed out part is used to hold a number of matches.
The scraper must be rough to ignite the match.   
This material is rough and has some surface roughness, ideal for igniting sulfur matches.  
 
The production of pyrogens decreased and then stopped when the portable matchbox (a kind of pyrogen) and especially the lighter, became common objects of use. 
Moreover, the sulphurous matches that could be lit anywhere were replaced by phosphorus matches, less dangerous but also less practical.