Details
CollectionStraits Chinese Collection
Object numberB2012-0002-006-0
TitleMetal safe with brown and red paint
DescriptionSafes made of cast iron, also known as strong boxes, were installed for keeping cash, jewellery and important documents.
The safe on display is constructed as a chest. Strong boxes of this design have been called ‘Armada chests’ as they are imagined to be the kind of trunks used to transport valuables on sea voyages.
The locking mechanism of this chest-like safe is installed on the underside of the lid and concealed behind a panel. The manufacturer’s label indicates that it was made by F. Dreyer in Hamburg, Germany.
(NUS Baba House, Architecture and Artefacts of a Straits Chinese Home, Page 124)
Object categoryDomestic/Decorative, Metalware
MaterialMetal
