Exhibition Label Text: The shape of a piece box gives a strong clue to its use – for carrying a miner’s ‘piece’ or sandwich. The piece box was introduced in the early twentieth century to protect miners’ food underground. Previously, food had been wrapped in cloth and hung on hooks off the ground, to keep it away from the rats and mice that lived at the pit bottom. These piece boxes were used in the 1940’s and bought from a co-operative shop. The Co-op also sold the plain loaf that gave the piece box its shape.
Rectangular tin with one curved end, shaped like a loaf of bread. Two sections one fits inside the other.
20 x 11.6 x 5.7.