Mystery item 4, 1900s, GH002794, Te Papa
If you’re visiting Te Papa, you’ll see other curious curios in the area covered with astroturf in Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa – an exhibiton about New Zealand last century.
There are plenty of mystery objects in the grass room – but plenty that you will recognise too. And there will be more treasures and curios on Saturday at the event on the Marae at 12 noon – Antiques: You Show, We tell!
Astroturf roof of Homegrown in Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa. Photographer Kirstie Ross
Mystery object 1 is a child’s rattle. It was donated to the museum by Mr Graeme Pebbles.
Mystery object 2 is a candle wick trimmer. It’s made from brass and was donated bo the museum in 1964 by Mr David Graham. You used it to trim a candle wick if it was getting too long and the flame was getting too smoky. You could even use it while the candle was still burning.
Mystery object 3 is an apple corer. It comes from the Chatham Islands and it’s made from sheep bone. It was donated to the museum in 1957 by V Wooldridge.
3 Comments
mystery 4, bed warmer! before the days of hotties!!! and electric blankets! electricity for that matter…
HI Adele
You are dead right. This type of bed warmer was made locally during World War Two because there was a shortage of rubber, which came from Malaya.
rubber, now that is an interesting topic, I wonder how many people know where it comes from.. some time back, I discovered that one of our early settlers had something to do with GUTTA PERCHA, oh look it up on wikipedia my friends… our early settlers were great folk.