26th Oct, 2021 11:00

From the Curious to the Extraordinary

 
  Lot 102
 

TWO WOODEN CRATES FOR TRANSPORTING SPECIMENS FROM LONDON'S NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

TWO WOODEN CRATES FOR TRANSPORTING SPECIMENS FROM LONDON'S NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

the crates used in the Zoology Department's spirit collection to carry jars of specimens in liquid preservative.

Crate dimensions in cm: "Arachnida" 16.5 height x 48.5 width x 48.5 depth. "Zooly. Dept" 15.5 height x 45.5 width x 45.5 depth.

Both crates are made from wood. One crate has cut-away handles on opposing sides and "Arachnida" engraved on the other opposing sides, with one of the names painted in yellow. The other crate has "Zooly. Dept" (Zoology Department) stencilled in black paint on opposing sides. Both pieces show extensive usage, gained during their long-life spans in service in the collections, which greatly enhances their character. There are approximately 80 million scientific specimens/objects ‘behind-the-scenes’ at the Natural History Museum. Around 20 million of these are specimens in liquid preservative in glass jars. Most of these jars would have been under the care of the Zoology Department which would have included the Arachnida (spiders and their relatives). Museum curators used these crates for moving the glass jars e.g. when scientists wanted to study the specimens. Although their age is uncertain, they are probably more than 100 years old, and this type of crate is no longer used within the museum. These historic crates could be used to house items from your collection, or other things such as (appropriately!) bottles of alcohol at your mini-bar.

Provenance: Legitimately acquired by the vendor directly from the museum.

Sold for £275

Includes Buyer's Premium


 

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