Summary
This soap dish has been reconstructed from four fragments. It was excavated during one of the archaeological digs conducted the Commonwealth Block site between 1988 and 2003.
Health and hygiene.
'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'. This is a difficult maxim to follow when 'there is not one bath in sixty', when sewerage gathers in cesspits and open drainage channels line the streets.But the residents of Little Lon did practice personal hygiene. Archaeologists have uncovered toothbrushes and toothpaste pots, scent bottles, soap dishes, combs and hairbrushes.
Clean teeth and neat hair did not guarantee good health however. Doctors were expensive, so ordinary people had to rely on medicines like Holloway's Ointment and Hall's Vegetable Pain Conqueror as well as Chinese herbal remedies. Children were dosed weekly with the laxative castor oil, to keep their bowels regular.
Physical Description
This is a small oval shaped ceramic dish. It has been decorated with a blue and white underglaze transfer printed design with a scenic design on the base and floral design on the rim. The scene shows people in the foreground and a tower, lake and mountains in the background. There is no manufacturer's mark.
Physical Description
4 fragments of small oval shaped ceramic dish. Blue & white underglaze, transfer printed scenic design on base, floral on rim. Scene shows people in foreground and hills in background. No manufacturers mark. There is a view of people, tower, lake and mountains, with a floral border. It has been reconstituted and is now 95% complete. No mark.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from Heritage Victoria, Industry Superannuation Property Trust, 03 May 2005
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Context Number
57/13
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Site
[TCS] Australia, Victoria, Commonwealth Block, Melbourne
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Activity
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Specific Activity
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Decoration
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Colour
Blue
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Moulding
Scenic
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Form
Flanged Rim; Flat (Base)
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Shape
Ovoid
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Technique
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Provenance
England
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Exhibition Collection Management
135 mm (Length), 165 mm (Width), 35 mm (Height)
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Keywords