Terramundi Money Pots
Terramundi Money Pots are handmade Italian money saving pots which have to be broken to access the contents. The idea replicates pots used during the Roman Empire which were used to hoard coins and precious metals.[1]
History
Terramundi was founded by Dario Illari and Jacquie Ryle in 1997. Dario, of Italian descent, had grown up seeing locally thrown pots used to store coins in Italy. The business began when a gap in the market was discovered for piggy banks which have to be broken to access the money, with current money saving pots having an access hole at the base. Terramundi began selling pots at London Christmas Markets including Jubilee Market, Covent Garden, Camden Lock, Greenwich Market and Spitalfields. Following popularity in The Astronomy Shop in Covent Garden, famous astrologer Russell Grant featured one of the pots during a TV-am slot.
In 2001 Terramundi became a Limited company and as the operation expanded, Terramundi moved to Northumberland Park, in Tottenham, London. In 2004 they made a move to Walthamstow, however development of the site forced a move to Terramundi’s current home in Tottenham Hale, where they have remained since 2007. Terramundi has grown organically over the years, whilst staying true to the original ideals of a high quality, handmade and hand painted pots.
Tradition and Origins
Terramundi pots are traditional Etruscan money pots and are hand thrown in Umbria, Italy, where they have been used for over 2000 years and their design has remained unchanged.[2]
The Terramundi pot shape is based upon the traditional Etruscan Amphora, used between the 5th and 7th Centuries B.C. The Amphora is believed to have been used for mainly storing wine, but materials such as honey, grain, fish and olive oil have been found inside pots onboard old Italian trade ships.[3][4]
The pots have been used in Italy for thousands of years for multiple uses, including money hoarding. Coin hoards are a common discovery across Iron Age Britain and the former Roman Empire. Many hoards were traditionally explained in terms of safekeeping and protection from invasion, but there are also theories that coins were buried for ritual practices.[5] Further interpretations include pot burial at times of economic or political upheaval, with the intention of later recovery. [6]
In Italy, coin hoarding developed into its own tradition related to wish fulfilment. Once the first coin is dropped and the wish is made, the money pot must be fed till full, in order to fulfill the wish. It is customary to then replace the broken pot.[7] Terramundi have continued this tradition by including a small card with each pot, which is then completed with the date and desire, and inserted into the pot with the first coin.
The name ‘Terramundi’ is Latin for ‘Earth World’.
Design
The design of the Terramundi pot is traditional to the distinctive features of Roman Amphora. Characteristics include a globular body with a wider upper central girth, and a short conical neck.[8] Similar to the amphorae of the Byzantine period, the pots have a short, thick rim.[9]
Typical Roman amphora designs include white painted loops and ribbed rings around the whole body of the pot. Terramundi pots are hand painted in various designs. The original slick design featuring multiple colours of washed rings and dripping paint are based on ancient Roman pots that had been excavated.[10]
References
- ↑ "Coin Hoarding in the Roman Empire". The Oxford Roman Economy Project. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ↑ "The Umbrian Lands of Ceramics". ”Ceramica: Made in Umbria”. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ↑ "Etruscan Amphorae". ”Nautical Archaeology Program”. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- ↑ "Ancient Roman Ship Found Intact With Cargo Off Italian Coast". ”Italy Magazine”. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ↑ "Hoards: The Hidden History of Ancient Britain". ”The British Museum”. 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ↑ "What Can Coin Hoards Tell Us About Iron Age and Roman Britain?". ”University of Leicester”. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ↑ "Terramundi Pots". ”Crusty Crones Get Out and About: The Cauldron Has Been Stirred, Where Next?”. March 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ↑ "Late Roman Amphora 2". ”Roman Amphorae: A Digital Resource. University of Southampton, Archaeology Data Service”. 2005. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ↑ "Late Roman Amphora 5". ”Roman Amphorae: A Digital Resource. University of Southampton, Archaeology Data Service”. 2005. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ↑ "Introduction". ”The Art of Vase Painting in Classical Athens - Martin Robertson”. 1992. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
This article "Terramundi Money Pots" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
