The Bath Box
Souvenir Project
For this project we were told to make a object that related to The Holburne Museum that would be sold in the shop. Representing the collection, history or gardens in a object that people will buy to take home.
Initial drawings of my ideas and exploring in shape and forms or displaying a souvenir. I had the idea to have the materials found in the museum as the souvenir and then a nice box that they are contained in.
Prototyping my first ideas of have a box that slides off tho reveal the material on the inside. Looking into having a lid or a folding top or sliding top. Prototyping these ideas gave me an insight into what they would look like if they where made, see pros and cons in each design.
I went to The Holburne Museum to look what materials stood out to me. I saw materials such as Bath Stone, marble, brass, and porcelain. There were lots more materials but these were commonly used. I went out to source some of these materials, going to local stores to get brass, local potters to find some information about porcelain and going to the Bath Stone quarry in Combe Down. Once I got hold of these materials I experimented in ways I could shape them and cut them to shape. Filing the Bath Stone or using the Bath Stone more to cast a different shape. Using Brasso to clean and polish the bras to get a new shiny look to it and glazing the porcelain with a mix of PVA and clear glue to give it a clear shiny effect.
To make the box the objects came in I used pine wood and a mortis drill to drill the hole down so that the other box can fit in, holding the surprise inside. This method of removing the outer box had a satisfying feeling and noise making it more interesting and memorable action. I wanted the boxes to look whole, with no joints or screws attached making it look like a solid piece of wood adding to the mystery as to what was inside. I would also have a leaflet inside the box explaining the material that is inside, where it was sourced from and some information about it.
I wanted to have a leaflet explaining what the material is and where I sourced it from. I want people to learn a little bit about the material and get an narrative into what they are holding. This is important as it makes a connection to the material and to what make it unique, reminding the consumer of where the material comes from and the experience that they had there.
The Bath Box is a product that represents the consumers experience of Bath through the materials found, by taking a chunk of the material home with them. Having the material significant to the place is a sentimental link to the time they had in Bath. Containing the material reminder in smooth solid box with a leaflet explaining the meaning and characteristics of the material inside.
The Bath Box didn't get a place in the museum for this project but it got chosen to be put forward for something else which I will explain in another section of my website called 'Material Wonders'.
