🐆Leopard drum, included in our exhibition, Inglefields Africa revisited. The Fante, who made this drum, regard the leopard as a royal animal, symbolising power and wisdom. Therefore, it is likely that this drum is connected to ceremonies of a chief or a king of the Fante community. Primarily located in the central region of Ghana the Fante are known for their rich #cultural heritage, lively #music, #art, and for their skills in trade and commerce. They have a traditional structure headed by chiefs and elders, with a strong sense of #community. Follow link in bio for more on #brlsi #collections. #Pottery #Ghana #InglefieldsAfrica #Jar #culture #musuem #bath #history #Fante #leopard #drum #drumming #exhibition

💠For #Mineralmonday, the glorious greens of a Chalcophylite, chalcosite, and chrysocolla trio. Three minerals that belong to the sulfide and hydroxide groups and are commonly found in copper deposits. #Chalcophylite is a sulfide mineral composed of copper, iron, and sulfur. It has a metallic luster and is usually found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. #Chalcosite is a hydrous copper sulfate mineral that has a dull, earthy appearance and is commonly found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. #Chrysocolla is a hydrous copper silicate mineral that is often blue or green in color and has a velvety, fibrous appearance. It is commonly found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits and is often associated with #copper,#silver, and #gold #ore #minerals. #brlsi #minerals #crystals #green #copper #sulfide #earth #world #geology

Mystery object reveal! Donated to us by Francis Lockey - A Chakram, used by the Sikhs, a Circular iron fighting ring with the outer edge thinned into blade. Numerous chakrams of different sizes could be worn around the arms, necks, and stacked onto turbans. The chakram was thrown several different ways: by being held between the thumb and forefinger and thrown underhand, or spun around the index finger and flung. The aerodynamic shape of the body prevented it from being deflected by the wind. The Chakram had a range of 50 feet. Visit www.brlsi.org to discover more about the collections. #Hoop #Sword #50feet #FrancisLockeyAChakram #Chakram #warrior #weapon #museum #brlsi #collection #sikh #ironfightingring #throwing #aerodynamic #artefact #mysteryobject #ring #circle #circular #iron #metal #old

🐚A specimen from Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution Collection, an Early Jurassic fossil of wood colonised by barnacles and mussel-like bivalves, has been formally described and interpreted in a scientific paper. Both species of marine animals were #pseudoplankton, organisms adapted for a mode of life attached to floating objects. The #barnacles are called Toarcolepas mutans and their occurrence in this fossil association is only the second record of the species anywhere in the world. They also equal the oldest example of pseudoplanktonic barnacles in the fossil record. Collected by Charles Moore in the 19th Century from Ilminster, Somerset, this specimen is part of the Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte, a special part of the Institutions Collection. The research was conducted by palaeontologists, including our own Collections Manager Matt Williams, from several institutions (Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, the University of Leeds, the University of Portsmouth, University of Oslo, and Natural History Museum of London) and was published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica on 24th January 2023. Visit brlsi.org to discover more... #bivalves #paleontologist #collections #musuem #artefacts #barnacles #pseudoplanktonic #naturalhistory

🔍This delicate #fossil #beetle from the #BRLSI collection was found in a quarry near Ilminster by the Victorian amateur geologist Charles Moore. Here he discovered spectacular fossils from the Lower Jurassic; which represent an almost complete near-shore ecosystem, the Strawberry Bank Lagerstatte, preserved in great detail thanks to the rapid decay which took place in this warm shallow sea around 183 million years ago. Follow the link in our bio to discover more about the items in our collection. #ecosystem #nature #discovery #geology #geologist #charlesmoore #strawberrybanklagerstatte #preserved #jurassic #strawberrybanklagerstatte #sea #Ilminster

Throughout history it has been common for the victors of conflict to loot cities and palaces and for the centres of Empire to gather cultural objects from the territories they occupied. Many museums around the world hold objects that were originally acquired by force or through power dynamics. Such actions would now be illegal under international law and may be seen as morally indefensible. The interpretation of these objects in a museum context increasingly acknowledges this aspect of their historical background. These tiles are typical of ridge tiles used in the Chinese Imperial Palaces, and of a glaze that was reserved exclusively for such buildings. Ridge Tiles attributed to the ‘Forbidden City’, but probably coming from the looting of the ‘Old Summer Palace’ in Beijing in October 1860, at the end of the Second Opium War (or conceivably from the looting following the Boxer Rebellion in 1900). Included in our exhibition 'The Civic and The Global.' #brlsi #bath #exhition #collections #loot #Chinese #tiles #history #empire #opiumwar #architecture #imperial #forbiddencity #oldsummerpalace #Beijing #boxerrebellion #culturalobjects

#Sande #Bundu and #African #Masks. Plus, an ancient #KulahKhud from the #BRLSI collections. Visit @brlsi.org to find out more about the collections, as well as upcoming #talks and #exhibitions. #SierraLeone #Mende masks of the #Sande or #Bundu fellowship of women who were responsible for preparing young Mende girls for adulthood and their roles as wives, mothers and female community members. The mask is a conical helmet that rests on top of a raffia costume. The helmet is described by observers as "truly a glamorous being...the mask joins the community together in the experience of its beauty and allure." #Zambia. Barotseland wooden dance masks. Donated by Rev. M.C. Baynes in 1934. #KulahKhud. These #cavalry #helmets were common throughout the Middle East to India, and are characterised by plume holders, a sliding nose guard and a chain mail neck guard. As with this one, they were often very finely decorated. #museum #artefacts #art #culture #helmet #mask #costume #ceremony #ritual #maskwearing #masked #ancient #historical #fellowship

🌍For #MineralMonday, a beautiful twin formation of #Azurite and #Malachite from the #BRLSI collection. Otherwise known as #Azurmalachite, this combination of two #copper carbonate minerals forms in copper-rich, hot water #igneous regions. During changes in conditions, the #minerals #precipitate and #crystallise into solid form, coming out of the water solution and solidifying within the surrounding rock. Malachite and Azurite are found near copper ore deposits, but form separately from that process, when primary copper sulfide minerals like #chalcopyrite, and #chalcocite are exposed to #oxygen near #Earth's surface. To discover more, follow the link in our bio. #earth #volcanic #igneous #geology #crystals #minerals #bath #earth #volcanic #igneous #geology #crystals #minerals #bath

#Mystery #object #revealed Collections manager Matt Williams uncovers the mystery of this hairy decorative object from the BRLSI collection. #mysteryobject #collections #museumartefact #naga #tribe #earring #stretchedlobes #stretchers #culture #jewellery #headhunters #goathair #exhibit