Museum object takes part in exhibition at Compton Verney

We're pleased to announce that one of the Museum objects will be appearing in an exhibition at Compton Verney in Warwickshire.  To find out more about the exhibition, click on this link and have a look at the promotional texts provided by Compton Verney below.

http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/events/448/periodic_tales_the_art_of_the_elements.aspx

The object (which was collected earlier this week) is on loan until the end of December.  The object in question is:

Museum Number: 89

Object Name: Bottles with shells

Physical Description: Small glass bottle half full of mercury and decorated with shells on string.

Material made from: Glass, mercury, shells

And comes with this description on our online catalogue: Original text by Cecil Williamson: 'Mercury - or quicksilver - always regarded as a living mystical metal, beloved of witches and sages. This little bottle of mercury gay with its ring of small shells was used by a wise woman living in Penzance in about 1905. She earned money by telling the weather from it for fishermen. A Newlyn-based artist acquired this small bottle and treasured it as a totem, or house spirit charm which he swore brought him luck. He said the wise woman's name was Janie Rowe or Rouse, he was not quite sure which was the correct name.'

We're really pleased that this wonderful Museum object will be seen by a different audience and in a different context.