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Seven Wooden Mining Buckets
This simple bucket pictured, made from wooden staves and iron rings, and almost identical to any other bucket of the period was actually an important link in the production of Malaya's tin. Its one difference to the household bucket is a small hole drilled in the bottom and covered with fine gauze to let the water drain from the tin ore it contained.
The role of the bucket was simple - to transport tin ore from either the mine bottom, the palong or the dredge to its next stage of cleaning in the tin sheds. Each bucket held over 100pounds (45Kg) of tin ore and was manhandled by mining coolies over the rough, wet and slippery ground that was a feature of every tin mine.
The bucket measures 40cm tall and 45cm in diameter.
We have six more buckets in the collection that are similar to the one pictured. Other similar buckets are also listed in other entries if this database.
Eventually the wooden bucket was replaced with a lighter version manufactured from rubber, used mainly on the dredges.