by Lillian Csernica on April 4, 2017
In polite society, if you were anyone at all you carried calling cards, which made card cases among the most essential accessories for both men and women.

kittysantiquejewelry.com
Antique Art Nouveau silver card case dated Christmas 1907
In addition to calling cards, ladies of society also had dance cards. When playing the marriage game or just having an evening out, a proper lady had to plan ahead!

doyle.com
Two Austrian dance card cases circa 1901-1902
Smoking was a common habit in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, even among ladies. The flappers of the Roaring ’20s called cigarettes “gaspers,” and kept them in ornate cigarette cases.
Antique Art Nouveau silver and enamel cigarette case

new.liveauctioneers.com
A Russian gun metal and silver Art Nouveau cigarette case, Moscow 1908-1917
For those who carried cigarettes, the natural companion to the cigarette case was the match safe, also known as a “vesta.”

dempseyandbaxter on ebay.com
Gorham Butterfly Woman Sterling Silver Repousse Match Case
American Sterling Silver Vesta