Original Item: Only One Available. This is a beautiful mid 19th century British brass powder flask made by James Dixon & Sons of Sheffield, one of the best known British manufacturers of sporting and shooting accessories during the period. The flask features an unusual and somewhat macabre embossed “Dead Game” hunting scene showing several harvested animals hanging upside down. The decoration appears on one side of the flask only.

The flask dates to approximately the 1850s to Civil War era and was almost certainly intended as a sporting or hunting accessory rather than a military issue item. Its decorative game motif is entirely consistent with the type of flask marketed to civilian hunters and sportsmen during the percussion firearm era.

The spring mechanism remains present and functional, and the spout cutoff operates properly. The cap also still screws on and off without issue.

The flask measures approximately 8 3/4 inches long.

There is no powder remaining inside. Condition is very good overall for its age, although there is some separation along the body seam. This should be taken into account when handling the flask and means it should not be used to hold powder.

James Dixon & Sons of Sheffield produced a wide variety of metal goods during the 19th century, including flasks, sporting accessories, and other finely made articles. Sheffield was one of the most important manufacturing centers of the British Industrial Revolution, and Dixon products were exported widely, including to the United States.

Powder flasks such as this were used to carry and dispense black powder for muzzle loading firearms. Many sporting examples were heavily decorated with hunting scenes, game animals, dogs, birds, and other outdoor imagery intended to appeal to the sporting market.

The combination of the James Dixon & Sons Sheffield manufacture, working cutoff mechanism, Civil War era date, and unusual “Dead Game” scene makes this a particularly attractive example of a mid 19th century sporting powder flask and a strong companion piece for a Civil War or antique firearms collection.