Tag Archives: Curios

Curious curios – all is revealed

Yesterday I posted three mysterious objects from Te Papa’s history collections on the blog. The answers are below. But here’s another item to think about. 
Mystery item 4, 1900s, GH002794, Te Papa

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. Photographer Kirstie Ross

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.

Curious curios: I show – you tell!

This Saturday at 12 noon, you can bring along a treasured object to the Marae on level 4 at Te Papa where curators and an antique dealer will look at it and tell you a bit more about it. 

Or you might have a mystery item lurking in your garage or in the back of a cupboard that you’ve always wanted to know more about. We’ll rack out brains to come up with an answer!

Or just come along and be intrigued and amazed at some the things that come out of the woodwork. Read more about the Antiques: You Show – We Tell event here. (If you’re bringing something along, remember to register it at the Wellington Foyer at 11.30 am.)

Mystery item 1, 1800s, PC002789, Te Papa

Mystery item 1, 1800s, PC002789, Te Papa

I was looking through Te Papa’s history collections and spotted some pretty mysterious and weird-looking things. Here are three to begin with – see if you can guess what they are or what they were used for.

Mystery item 2, 1900s, GH002299, Te Papa

Mystery item 2, 1900s, GH002299, Te Papa

 

Here’s a hint – you can find them all on our collection database, Collections Online. 

Keep reading the blog – I’ll have more curious curios to challenge you with tomorrow.

Mystery item 3, 1800-1852, GH003203, Te Papa

Mystery item 3, 1800-1852, GH003203, Te Papa

And check out the astroturf room in our new exhibition, Slice of Heaven: 20th Centure Aotearoa, where you can explore even more treasures and oddities from the 1900s.

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