When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Add an extraordinary piece of pre-WWII Italian and Sicilian folk ephemera to your collection with this rare, complete 1930s wax matchbox (scatola di fiammiferi cerini), manufactured by I.S.F.A. (Industria Siciliana Fiammiferi ed Affini) in Catania, Sicily.This authentic vintage box features:
- Front Cover: The ancient symbol of Sicily, the Trinacria (Triskelion), featuring the winged Medusa head with three running legs on a vibrant yellow field, marked \"I.S.F.A. Catania - Marchio Depositato.\"
- Back Cover: Traditional folk art illustration titled \"Costume di Piana dei Greci\" (the historic Arbëreshë Sicilian-Albanian town renamed Piana degli Albanesi in 1941, confirming pre-1941 manufacture).
- Period Italian Tax Stamp: Retains its original purple \"Imposta Cerini\" revenue tax stamp intact on the reverse.
- Complete Contents: Includes original pull-out tray filled with vintage blue-headed wax matches (cerini).An exceptional display piece for phillumeny collectors, Sicilian heritage enthusiasts, folk costume researchers, and vintage Italian ephemera collections.Condition: Original 1930s cardboard matchbox in very good vintage condition as shown. Features bright, unfaded lithograph colors, sound structural tray, intact tax stamp, and original wax matches inside. Shows light, age-appropriate edge wear and surface toning consistent with age. Shipped securely packaged with protective archival backing to ensure safe arrival.
