Spill Vase: boy under a tree

Spill vase: boy sitting under a tree.
Vintage china. Matches have not always been plentiful as they are now. Back before safety matches "spills" were used to transfer fire. Lighting a pipe or starting a fireplace fire were not easy tasks. Containers to hold spills were very popular and practical. Starting a fire with flint and steel was a very time consuming chore and as a result transferring fire was a more practical thing to do. Vases were used to hold the spills in most rooms. Either tightly twisted paper or long slender strips of wood were used to light candles, smoking materials, stoves, fire places and anywhere else fire could be moved from one place to another...one application to another. These pieces are much smaller than bud vases and usually have the actual spill holder more shallow than flower vases. This darling little boy is sitting under the tree (which is a very familiar image in the spill vase world). This piece continues to have a modern practical use. Fewer people are smoking and matches are often difficult to find. A container of long matches or spills would certainly come in handy when lighting candles or fires in the fireplace. This piece may actually be older than circa 1940 inasmuch as the manufacturer is unknown. There is evidence of a label having been on the bottom of the piece; but alas, it is missing. It could also be used as a bud vase for small flowers. Spill vases have been used since the 15th century!. This vase is in good condition with no cracks or repairs. There is a small hole in the top of the limb that looks like a knot hole in the wood. I did not know it was there until I gave it a bath and water ran out the top. The edges are smooth and I can not tell if this is a break or intentional. It does not in any way detract from this adorable little boy! Size: 4 1/2" tall, 3 1/4" wide and 2 1/4" thick. At the moment, it is sitting on the back of my gas range with wooden skewers in it. One of the strikers isn't working on my stove and I must admit, having material at hand to light the burner is a definite plus.