Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CHARM BOTTLE

Date Range From

1945

Date Range To

1955

Materials

GLASS, BRASS, PLASTIC, WOOD

No. Pieces

19

Height

6.2

Length

6.8

Width

4

Description

18 VARIOUS TRINKETS AND CHARMS INSIDE GLASS BOTTLE. .1) BOTTLE IS CLEAR GLASS WITH TAPERED SIDES AND CIRCULAR STEEL LID PAINTED RED. RAISED ON BOTTOM IS "WATERMAN'S 2 OZ REGISTERED" AND "MADE IN CANADA". .2) CROSS PENDANT: 2.8CM X 1.7CM X 0.5CM CARVED TORTOISE SHELL CROSS WITH THIN WIRE LOOP AND BLUE INK MARKS ON ONE SIDE. .3) CROSS PENDANT: 3.1CM X 1.9CM X 0.1CM BRASS CROSS WITH RAISED FOUR PETAL FLOWER AT CENTER WITH LAYERED PETALS EXTENDING DOWN EACH ARM OF CROSS. SMALL CIRCULAR LOOP IS MOLDED TO CROSS AT TOP. .4) CROSS PIN: 1.4CM X 0.9CM X 0.1CM BRASS CROSS WITH FASTENING PIN BROKEN OFF. SLAG FROM PIN IS STILL ON BACK. .5) CROSS PIN: 1.0CM X 0.6CM X 0.5CM BRASS CROSS WITH CIRCULAR HASP AND FRAME FOR PIN. PIN IS MISSING. .6) PENDANT: 1.5CM (D) X 0.3CM CIRCULAR BRASS PENDANT WITH PICTURE OF MARY HOLDING THE BABY JESUS ON A BLUE BACKGROUND. PENDANT HAS BEADWORK EDGING AND PLASTIC LENS IS SCRTACHED HEAVILY. .7) RING: 1.9CM (D) X 1.2CM BRASS RING WITH SILVER PAINT WHICH IS WORN HEAVILY AND TWO PURPLISH PLASTIC STONES MOUNTED SIDE BY SIDE. .8) LOCKET: 2.4CM X 2.1CM X 0.3CM RECTANGULAR BRASS LOCKET. LOCKET HAS ETCHING IN CORNERS AND ALONG HINGED SIDE TO GIVE IT A BOOK-LIKE APPEARANCE. .9) CLASP: 2.5CM X 0.7CM X 0.8CM BRASS PIN THAT LOOKS LIKE A TINY TIE CLIP. CLIP BRASS EDGING WITH TORTOISE SHELL SETTING. TORTOISE SHELL HAS INTERSECTING WAVY LINE DECORATION. .10) PLASTIC FRAGMENT: 1.4CM X 0.8CM X 0.7CM TEAR SHAPED RED PLASTIC STONE SET IN SILVER PAINTED PLASTIC BEZEL OF SAME SHAPE. .11) PENDANT: 1.7CM X 1.2CM X 0.5CM PENDANT MADE UP OF BRASS FRAME AND SQUARE PINK PLASTIC STONE WITH SCISSORS CUT. SMALL BRASS CHAIN IS ATTATCHED TO RING AT TOP. .12) BUTTON: 2.3CM X 1.8CM X 0.6CM PINK PLASTIC BUTTON SHAPED LIKE A LEAF. .13) SEASHELL: 1.1CM X 0.6CM (D) WHITE UNIVALVE SHELL WITH TINY RED SPOTS. .14) BEAD: 2.2CM X 0.7CM GOLD COLORED CYLINDRICAL PLASTIC BEAD WITH PARALLEL TAPERED ENDS. .15) BEAD: 1.9CM X 1.2CM (D) OVAL SHAPED GLASS BEAD COLORED AMBER WITH HOLE BORED ALONG LENGTH. .16) BEAD:1.0CM (D) SPHERICAL WOODEN BEAD WITH DARK FINISH. .17) BEAD: 1.0CM (D) CLEAR PLASTIC BEAD CUT LIKE A JEWEL. .18) BEAD: 1.5CM X 0.7CM (D) OVAL SHAPED PLASTIC BEAD COLORED A MILKY WHITE AND HAS BRASS LOOP THROUGHT IT.

Subjects

CONTAINER

PERSONAL SYMBOL

ADORNMENT

TOY

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

RELIGION

History

JAR AND ITS CONTENTS BELONGED TO DONOR, JOY KOGAWA, AS A YOUNG GIRL. JOY IS DAUGHTER OF REV. G.G. NAKAYAMA AND WAS BORN IN VANCOUVER. SHE AND HER FAMILY WERE TAKEN TO SLOCAN CITY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1942-1945). FOLLOWING THE WAR SHE AND HER FAMILY MOVED TO COALDALE WHERE HER FATHER ESTABLISHED THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION. JOY WENT ON TO BECOME AN AUTHOR AND LECTURER OF RENOWN IN CANADA. HER NOVELS INCLUDE "OBASAN" AND "THE RAIN ASCENDS". FROM AUGUST 29 TO 31, 2011 COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE DONOR, JOY KOGAWA, ABOUT HER MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC OBJECTS THAT SHE DONATED IN 1997. OF THIS ARTIFACT, KOGAWA SAID: “WELL THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE INK BOTTLES, BUT WHAT ON EARTH IS INSIDE?... ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS… [I WOULD HAVE COLLECTED] THIS BUNCH OF THINGS AS A TEENAGER… I STILL DO THIS KIND OF THING. SOMETIMES I’LL WALK ALONG AND I SEE SOMETHING ON THE GROUND AND I’LL PICK IT UP. I THINK ‘OH, THIS IS A PRETTY LITTLE THING’. AND THEN I’LL KEEP IT… I’M INCLINED TO KEEP CLUTTER, AND THESE WOULD HAVE BEEN LITTLE THINGS THAT I JUST DIDN’T THROW OUT… [ONE PIECE] WAS PART OF A NECKLACE THAT CAME FROM NIAGARA FALLS… SOMEBODY WHO HAD BEEN TO NIAGARA FALLS MAILED IT TO ME, AND I LOVED IT… IT USED TO HAVE A LITTLE BARREL AT THE BOTTOM AND YOU COULD LOOK THROUGH A HOLE IN THE BARREL, AND SEE NIAGARA FALLS… THIS WAS A CHEAP RING THAT I GOT FROM SOMEONE AS A CHILD, [AND] THIS IS PART OF A LOCKET… THIS WAS A BUTTON [FROM] A PINK CROCHET SWEATER… THIS IS A CROSS THAT I HAD ON A CHAIN, [AND] THIS WAS PART OF MY DAD’S CUFFLINK…” SEE RECORD P19970041001 FOR EXPANDED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19970041064

Acquisition Date

1997-01

Collection

Museum

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