-Tiny-Mite- safe still bank c. 1920s - 1930s

This adorable little box, a “Tiny-Mite-safe still bank” by Arrow Specialties, has a lovely faded orange color, like a sunset, or desert sand. I can imagine it was made by repeatedly applying thin layers of paint over the surface. You know, when I’m in the studio, sometimes I look at something I made a while ago and I think: What were you thinking? What were you trying to do? With this little safe, I wonder what it was like to make something that would contain other things – maybe not gold bars or wads of cash, but pennies and nickels, the hopes and dreams of a child. The surface of the box has little chips and dark worn spots, as if it's been loved and handled. I like the details – the three combination dials on the front, the chunky hinges on the side, the little slot on the top to drop your coins in.