Money Box thumbnail 1
Money Box thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Money Box

1950s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Pocket money is an allowance given by parents to children to enable them a small degree of financial independence, and to teach them management of money from an early age. As children get older, some parents expect them to complete certain household chores in order to earn their pocket money. Domestic boxes for saving or storing coins have a long history possibly stretching back to antiquity. Novelty money boxes have been popular with children since the nineteenth century, there was a particular vogue for mechanical metal ones from about 1870 until about 1900.

Pirates have for the past two centuries been important characters in children’s culture, alternately as heroes or as villains. This money box is illustrative of the general sanitisation of the image of a pirates over the course of this period.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Hand-painted glazed ceramic
Brief description
Money box in the shape of a pirate, probably French, 1940s-1950s
Physical description
Novelty money box of hand-painted white porcelain, resembling a child-like pirate with a small button nose and full cheeks. Upon the head is a striped red and white kerchief, knotted above the left ear, and a black eyepatch. The other eye is a black dot, the eyebrows are also black. The figure holds a bulging sack over its left shoulder. It has a striped red and white shirt, blue trousers and black shoes. A blue cutlass is stuck into its belt on its right side. The figure's right arm is raised as though waving. On the back of the figure's head is a horizontal slot for coins. On the base is a circular opening which can be covered with a black rubber plug.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.1cm
  • Width: 16.4cm
Production typeMass produced
Object history
Purchased in 2017 [2017/256]
Subject depicted
Summary
Pocket money is an allowance given by parents to children to enable them a small degree of financial independence, and to teach them management of money from an early age. As children get older, some parents expect them to complete certain household chores in order to earn their pocket money. Domestic boxes for saving or storing coins have a long history possibly stretching back to antiquity. Novelty money boxes have been popular with children since the nineteenth century, there was a particular vogue for mechanical metal ones from about 1870 until about 1900.

Pirates have for the past two centuries been important characters in children’s culture, alternately as heroes or as villains. This money box is illustrative of the general sanitisation of the image of a pirates over the course of this period.
Collection
Accession number
B.12-2017

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 17, 2017
Record URL
Download as: JSON