Groam House is always interested in recording unusual objects that belong to local people. Sometimes objects are offered to the museum to ensure their long-term care and display. On occasion items are brought in, the owner asking ‘What is it?’ and then, after a bit of detective work, it’s taken home again. At other times it’s well known what an object is but we’re offered the chance of photography and recording its story before returning it. It’s all part of learning more about the local history of this area.

This is one of the objects that was brought into the museum a couple of years ago. It arrived in a shoe box, wrapped in soft paper, along with a note of it’s history. But we weren’t prepared for what we found when it was unwrapped. There was a gasp when we saw it. Isn’t it fine?

It’s a wooden box about 30cm by 12cm and 10cm deep, with a hinged lid. Five of it’s sides are covered in thin sheet lead with soft-hammered motifs. But once we’d read the note we realised that the Scottish thistle on the lid reflects place not person. This box has it’s own, very distinctive story to tell…