NELSON INSTITUTE MUSEUM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 26 April 1937, Page 4

NELSON INSTITUTE MUSEUM

CARNEGIE EXHIBIT USES OF SHELLFISH THROUGHOUT THE AGES A further case of exhibits in the rota made possible by the Carnegie Trust Board was received last week, and is an outstanding example of the latest show methods in use. The set is fiom the Auckland War Memorial Museum, its arrangements reflecting credit on those responsible for its preparation. It deals with the uses of shellfish throughout the ages, so that it is of high educational value.

FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES AND PERSONAL ADORNMENT

On dne site is shown the murex shell, a type of those used in ancient times to produce the valuable purple dye for the wealthy folk of the Mediterranean coast. It took 12000 to make 1.5 gramme of colour, at a cost in present values of £2OOO, but now the same quantity of synthetic dye can be produced. for less thah £1! A sample of dyed material is shown. Ahother section deals with cameos cut from the cassis and strombus shells when bas-relief Carvings Were the vogue in Greece ahd Rome. A primitive form of lamp Was a Wick floated in oil in a shell suspended horizontally. Such were used in the Shetland Islands.

There are specimens mounted of a translucent oyster shell once Used in the Dutch East Indies as Window panes.

Other exhibits are of the pearl or trochus shells found in the tropical seas around Northern Australia for which an increasing demand exists for use in the cUtlefy trade and for button making. Another section illustrates the making of varieties of shell money which is still used in New Guinea atld elsewhere. TOOLS. AND USEFUL ARTIFACTS I On the other side one sees adzes made from shell in the coral islands, as well as trolling fish-hooks, once common throughout the Pacific Islands. The Maoris used shells for scrapers and for cutting purposes, while .bivalves served the purpose of tweezers. Numerous examples are shown of the uses of iridescent shells such as those of the nautilus, pearl oyster and others, None were more beautiful than the paua used for hooks or inlay work by the Maoris. SHELL-FISH AS FOOD At one end is shown the types of shell-fish which formed a stapfe diet of the Maoris. At the opposite end some types of the oldest fossil shells—ammonites and belemnites—are shown these being of value in giving reliable evidence as to the age of the stratified rocks of the Earth’s crust. The various groups are arranged in scallop shell shaped units, the design being appropriate and pleasing. Nelson is fortunate in being included in this exchange scheme, and an inspection of the exhibit which is so attractive both from an artistic view-point as well as for the information it conveys, can confidently be recommended