Go-to-bed matchbox

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A brass go-to-bed bear. The hinged head allows access to the matches stored in the body; the lit match is placed in the hole at the end of the staff

Go-to-bed or getting-into-bed matchboxes were a variety of match storage box popular in the mid-to-late 19th century. Relatively small, about 6 cm high, they were frequently made of metal of some kind, though sometimes of wood or ivory.

Most incorporated a rough surface on which the match could be struck. All featured a small hole or finial, sometimes in ivory and always part of the design, into which the lit match could be placed, rather like a miniature candle.[1] The idea was that, rather than risk taking a lit candle near to the voluminous fabric of a four poster bed, the lit match on the mantelpiece would burn for some 30 seconds — just long enough for the person to snuff out the candle and get into bed.

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