Soot-Removing Scissors

Russian Empire. 

The scissors consist of two long blades joined by a pivot and fitted with ring-shaped handles. A distinctive feature of the design is a small metal receptacle attached near the cutting end. When the charred end of a lamp wick was trimmed, the soot cut from it fell directly into this container, preventing it from scattering onto the lamp, furniture, or floor. This construction provided a safe and convenient means of maintaining lighting devices.

The object is characterised by a simple and functional form typical of domestic technical implements of the late 19^th–early 20^th century. Similar tools were used both in urban households and in rural homes, where kerosene lamps remained an important source of artificial lighting.

With the spread of electric lighting, the need for such devices gradually disappeared.

Provenance: Purchased from I. F. Tovaryshch in 1990.