The samples of natural resources of the Požarevac region

  • Collection: The collection of gifts – Mineralogy
  • Country:
    • Serbia
    • Yugoslavia
  • Place: Požarevac
  • Type of item: Mineral and flora
  • Material:
    • Cereals
    • Glass
    • Minerals
    • Wood
  • Is it exposed? Yes
  • Inventory number: B-2129

Samples of natural resources of the Požarevac region are located in 12 compartments of a wooden, lacquered box with a glass lid. The sides of the box are decorated with plastic images with scenes from agriculture.

The unusual combination of artistic creativity and elements from nature reminds of Kunstschrank, or handmade showcases that were integral parts of cabinets of curiosities of rulers and aristocracy from the 14th to the 19th century. Such cabinets combine different artifacts and reflect the fashion and aesthetics of European culture of the time, and they are characterized by uniqueness, eclecticism and fascination with new knowledge.

The gift from the people of Požarevac to the leader, although it can be associated with Renaissance cabinets by its form, is not any kind of curiosity or exclusivity. It is not a cabinet of curiosities, but it can be seen as a kind of cabinet of valuables.

The selection of the elements of the gift and the donor signed as “the people” speak about the representation of social justice, equality and distribution in the new state, supporting the propagated picture of Yugoslavia as a promised land. The gift can also be read as a gesture to the leader who successfully leads his people not only in war but also in peace, but also as a manifestation of the readiness of the same people to deal with the foes of great drought and hunger, as well as the challenges of the industrial boom at the very beginning of the development of the Yugoslav socialist society.