Money box

Money box
Other views of this artifact:


Accession Number:
1985.24.10
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel Yei
Date Made:
by 1984
Materials:
Tin Metal? , Aluminium Metal ? , Paper Plant
Process:
Moulded , Recycled , Bent , Welded , Perforated , Printed
Dimensions:
Ht (with handle) = 115, Ht (without handle) = 90; L = 131, W = 126; handle L = 49.3, handle W = 14, slot L = 31, slot W = 7 mm [RTS 14/7/2005].
Weight:
164.4 g
Other Owners:
Purchased in Yei market between July and September 1984 by members of the Lutaya Expedition (from the Third World Society of Oxford University), and sold to the Pitt Rivers Museum via B. E. Harrell-Bond in 1985 [RTS 14/7/2005].
Field Collector:
Lutaya Expedition
PRM Source:
Lutaya Expedition via B.E. Harrell-Bond
Acquired:
Purchased 1985
Collected Date:
July to September 1984
Description:
Money box made from several flat pieces of tin or aluminium, cut from an old fat container that had been originally supplied by the World Food Programme for Refugee Assistance. The pieces have various pressed mouldings across their surfaces, depending on which part of the tin they had come from - base pieces have a series of concentric ridges, while those originally from the side of the tin have parallel ridges. The box is roughly square, and consists of a flat top made from 2 overlapping sheets, combining both circular and straight mouldings, welded together. The corners have been cut off, and the long edges folded over and welded to the everted top edges of the body below. A horizontal loop handle, made from a rectangular strip of tin has been attached near one edge - with the ends of the handle pushed through slots cut into the surface. This has a slightly concave upper face, as the sides of the strip have been pulled upwards. Printed advertising is visible on its underside, showing that it had been cut from another type of object; this has traces of a red, white and blue pattern and some Arabic script. Directly opposite, near the other edge, is a rectangular slot cut into the lid to receive coins. This top piece is firmly fixed to the body, which has been made from 2 rectangular sheets of tin, each bent to form a right angle and then placed together to form a square with overlapping seams, welded shut. The top edge of the resulting box was bent outwards, and welded to the lid; the lower edges are similarly bent and welded to the folded over edges of the base.

There are 2 rectangular paper labels adhering to opposite sides of the body, as part of the original fat container; they carry text printed in black block capitals onto a yellow background (Pantone 113C), which reads: "NORWEGIAN/ EDIBLE FAT/ MARGARIT BRAND/ 5 LBS NET/ SUPPLIED BY THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME/ GIFT OF NORWAY/PRODUCED BY [...]" - one of the labels is only partly visible, and both have their lowest line obscured by the edges of the lid; they are both positioned upside down. There is also a thin strip of a similar label just visible along the top of the lid, where it is covered by the join between the two component pieces. The base of the box has been made in a similar way to the top, from 2 overlapping pieces cut from sections with circular and straight mouldings and welded together with a seam across the width, also with the corners cut off. The money box is complete, with some traces of surface rust, and is currently a metallic grey colour (Pantone 877C). It has a weight of 164.4 grams and is 131 mm long, 126 mm wide and 115 mm high (including handle) or 90 mm high (without handle). The money slot is 31 mm long and 7 mm wide; the handle is 49.3 mm long and 14 mm wide.

Purchased in Yei market sometime between July and September 1984 by the Lutaya Expedition, a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda.

For other oil lamps made from recycled containers, see 1985.24.12-14. These have all been made in the same way, and can be compared with lamp 1998.9.9, and 1998.9.7, a toy aeroplane made from recycled aluminium and incorporating a lamp nozzle of the type seen here. The last two objects came from the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Note that none of these lamps have been provided with wicks.

This object was displayed in the exhibition 'Transformations - The Art of Recycling', held at the Pitt Rivers Museum from 25th March 2000 to Easter 2002.

Rachael Sparks 17/9/2005.

Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry [p. 68] - 1985.24 (.1 - 14) P[urchase] LUTAYA EXPEDITION, c/o B. E. HARRELL-BOND, ... OXFORD. A collection of items made by the Lutaya Expedition to YEI RIVER DISTRICT, EQUATORIA, SUDAN, 1984. This was a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda. See Related Documents File for notes and field photographs. [p. 71, 1985.24] .10 SUDAN - EQUATORIA - YEI Money Box. Made from an empty tin of Norwegian Edible Fat supplied by the World Food Programme for refugee assistance. The box is square with a handle and slot at the top. Bought in Yei market. L = 130 mm; W = 126 mm; H = 92 mm [sic].
Additional accession book entry [p. 71, under accession number, in red biro] - A11.F16.11.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [CM 4.11.1998].

Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN, EQUATORIA, YEI. Money box made from tin of Norwegian edible fat. Purch. Lutaya Expedition. 1985.24.10; old location sticker on back of label, cancelled; red sticker indicating object has been photographed, annotated 'OS' [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 14/7/2005].

Related Documents File - 1985.24, a typed document headed 'Lutaya Expedition to Yei River District, Equatoria, Sudan July-September 1984. Subheading: 'Third world First Society, Oxford University. A seven-member research and support expedition to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda'. A list follows, describing the objects collected; this appears as item 6: 'One money box. Provenance Yei market. Made from tin of Norwegian Edible fat, supplied by World Food Programme for refugee assistance'. The RDF also includes several photographs from this expedition: boy with toy truck; female potter at work; male blacksmith making arrows at Limbe; men playing the adungu at Limbe [RTS 6/1/2004].


Publication History:
Displayed in the exhibition 'Transformations - The Art of Recycling', Pitt Rivers Museum, 25th March 2000 to Easter 2002 [LP 7/6/2000].

 
Funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council
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