Introducing "The Gentleman in Kharki" - 1900

You can tell it it Boer War by the unique soldier portrait with which it is adorned, "A Gentleman in Kharki" standing stalwart against the foe, with his head bandaged. This motif was put on plates, cups, pictures, silks, etc. all during the war.

The picture was drawn by Caton-Woodville, a famous artist in late Victorian, and Edwardian England, who drew many battle scenes during the Anglo-Boer War.

The soldier and drawing were inspired by Rudyard Kipling - the most renowned writer of the English language at the turn of the century - who had written a poem "The Absent-minded Beggar" in honour of the common British soldier, slogging through the daily grind of a terrible war with few thanks from anyone. His poem was used to rouse the public to raise funds to help the wounded and the widows in the aftermath of battles that resulted in huge numbers of British casualties, early in the war.

The poem - only verse one, above, was printed - was often featured on kerchiefs and plates, and on the back of this unique ceramic item. Note: the old spelling of "kharki."

Boer War Era Match Strikers - 1900

The near registry number dates to 1895, the far one to 1900. That does not mean that the near one is older because the Rd No often refers to when the blank pattern was first patented, which is resurrected in later years to take advantage of political developments like the Boer War.

So in spite of one appearing to be five years older, it is not. Both were issued between Jan. and Dec. 1900. Here's why.

Both have the same transfers of the three officers above, that reflected the the dramatic shift in the power structure that occurred in Dec. 1899, when Buller was demoted and Lord Roberts took over with Kitchener. In 1900 Buller continued to serve in South Africa.

In December 1900, with the war looking to be all but over, Lord Roberts relinquished power to Lord Kitchener, and he and Buller both returned to England. Then the ruthless guerrilla war started and the British virtually stopped making war souvenir items, which is why Lord Kitchener memorabilia items have RD numbers from 1900 or earlier, or after 1914.

Probably the most common Boer War decorative pattern, for plates, cups, and saucers, was the one left, featuring a Union Jack backed, Victoria Cross pattern enclosing a cameo of VC hero Lord Roberts, guarded by two khaki clad soldiers, and entitled The Army.

This Wileman Foley match striker is more common than the one by Carlton Ware above, but is unique in being the only one with a design hand painted on; the others used transfers. The opposite side features the names of the leading generals that were in the headlines by mid-1900.

The rarest and most fabulous match striker we have seen must be this unique one featuring Lord Kitchener.

The transfer is an old version of Kitchener one encounters on the earliest memorabilia items featuring the British Victorian hero. It could very well be that it was made in 1898 when he grabbed all the headlines as the British general who defeated the Muslim armies defending Khartoum, at the Battle of Omdurman in the Sudan.

This match striker has no other embellishments on the other sides, and bears no marks on the bottom. It is in perfect shape with no chips or crazing, like found on so many of the others made by Raphael Tuck and J Macintyre.

This was never used for its intended purpose but kept as a memento, probably by a British soldier who served in the Sudanese campaigns or the Boer War, and brought to Canada, when the wars were over, to settle in peace.

Many medals and memorabilia items ended up in Canada from veterans who immigrated here, after the wars. Only able to bring their most precious items, their wives brought their doilies, the men their medals, busts and plates of their former military commanders.

Lord Roberts - 1900

Another fabulous, and relatively rare, match striker featuring Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief of the British Armies in South Africa, a position he only held between Dec. 1899 till Dec. 1900. He succeeded General Buller, below right, and was followed, in turn, by Lord Kitchener, below left. This is useful to know for dating memorabilia items featuring the generals.

Americans had their own war, for a few months in 1898, with Spain over Cuba and the Philippines. They issued match strikers which were decidedly different from those favoured by British manufacturers who opted for heavy and rugged chunks of ceramic for use by men in places were sobriety was a rare commodity.

Left is a fragile American match striker, a tiny ceramic lidded box in which the matches were kept. It was a bit more cumbersome than the British version because you had to remove the dainty lid - featuring the US and Cuban flags - to get at the matches.

The striker, of ceramic ribbing, was provided under the lid.

You always needed two hands for this operation. And after you lit the match - regardless of the state of your well-being - you had to place the lid - carefully - back on top of the box...

Is it any wonder that this match striker has a huge crack running all along the bottom and up the side.

Top and bottom views of "The Army" Wileman Foley match strikers.

This model had a special ribbed ring around the top to make it easier to light the match with one strike. Most other match strikers offered only the smooth sides for striking so several raps would often be needed, so degrading the transfers that would be there.

Unlike other match strikers, these Wileman Foley models were made with a hollowed out bottom left., and a firing hole.

This German match striker, made by Ernst Bohne Sons, Rudolphstadt Thuringia, dates from the Boer War era, and was probably extremely popular among soldiers of all countries, who loved to shock civilians and each other.

But it wasn't only Germans who loved flashing skulls around.

The silver cigar holder above, belonged to a Boer War era British Lancer. He popped up the cranium to offer a choice - of very dried up cigars... Or he was a fast and furious smoker.

The British 17th and 21st Lancers, after World War II, still sported the "Death or Glory" cap badge above on their caps. When the lancers were amalgamated into tank units, the morbid skull and bones were kept and are still worn today by armoured men who love to go home and scare their babies into behaving, though, reportedly, it does not work so well on Iraquis.

This fabulously realistic match striker, has the rubbing striker on the rear. But lest you think this is large it is only 5cm high!