Rhino Hide Shield from SomaliaNairn Museum This oval shield is from Somalia. Made of rhino hide, it has six metal bosses, with one missing, secured by rings at the rear of the shield. But how did this unusual object come to be in Nairn Museum? During the height of...
Bottle of PoisonGlencoe Folk Museum This green bottle had poisonous contents derived from saponins, a class of plant extracts. Poisons were stocked for many years by apothecaries or chemists for a range of purposes including for poisoning pests and vermin such as...
Hoof FungusGlencoe Folk Museum This hoof fungus, or fomes fomentarius, is found growing in the Highlands on silver birch trees. Its name comes from its unusual shape, like a horse’s hoof. This particular example was intended for making shinty balls, more usually...
Sunday HatCromarty Courthouse Museum Nowadays, the practice of wearing hats for church is uncommon. Named as her Sunday hat, however, this was clearly a special item for its owner, Mrs Hogg of Cromarty. Sunday hats, like other Sunday clothes, were kept for best....
Quern StoneCromarty Courthouse Museum Quern stones were used to grind a range of cereals and grains into flour. This made them incredibly valuable to the homelives of those in the medieval period as a way of benefiting directly from their crops within the home. They...
