Cabinet of Curiosity

The University’s recently commissioned the construction of a cabinet of curiosity, which is thought to be the first of its kind produced since the 17^th century. It took Deeside furniture maker Tom Ironside, of Finzean, more than six months to construct, based on the Augsburg Art Cabinet created by Philipp Hainhofer and given to the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus in 1632.

The cabinet is used by schools and other groups to think about museums as a process and how they are created, rather than as simply a display of objects. Museum staff can help people to create and display different collections, including their own items and some borrowed from the University, and then display the cabinet to visitors.

For schools, creating a classroom exhibition is a fantastic way to bring any school topic to life and to focus pupils’ learning. The project can run alongside a class topic, is pupil led and entirely interdisciplinary in its approach to creative learning. A resource pack is available for teachers, divided into sessions marking the stages of the process, complete with teacher’s notes, activities and resources.

This has been a whole class project, with all the children contributing great ideas and taking on special jobs. It has really caught their imagination and they have brought in a whole variety of fascinating objects for the cabinet. Mrs Amy Bain, P7 teacher, St Peter’s RC School, Aberdeen