Object of the Month

Our Object of the Month for October is an inro – a small tiered case which men carried hanging from their belts as part of traditional Japanese dress. The inro is decorated in lacquer with a bold design of one of the ten judges of hell, Lord Enma.

Marble pen tray Derbyshire, 19th century Black marbleAlongside the Ancient Egyptian artefacts, Asian works of art, and Jacobite memorabilia, the Castle collection includes objects which illustrate the life of Denys Eyre Bower. There is an archive of Denys’ letters,...

Our Object of the Month is a limestone stela, which reveals details of the life of a man called Siamun in Ancient Egypt. Stelas were monuments or plaques which could commemorate events or the lives of people with hieroglyphs and inscriptions. Siamun’s stela lists his titles, members of his family, and requests that expensive and luxurious offerings be made to please the gods.

Perfect for sunny weather, our Object of the Month for July is this Japanese box in the form of a kite. Flying kites was a popular form of entertainment during the Edo period (17th – 19th century). The box is decorated in Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold powder. Its interesting design gives us an insight into life in Japan during the Edo period.

Amulet boxes, or ga-u, are used to carry precious and useful items. They can be worn on a cord across the chest or as part of a necklace, and are perfect for a nomadic life. Read more here about this copper ga-u, and the sacred objects we discovered still held inside it.

New for our 2023 open season, is this unusual leather bottle in the shape of Charles I. He is on display once more in the Castle’s Print Room, following extensive conservation.

For April, our object is a fragment of a sistrum decorated with the face of Bat, a version of Hathor, the Ancient Egyptian goddess of love and music. A sistrum was a musical instrument which produced a rattling sound when shaken.

In celebration of the arrival of Spring, our March Object of the Month is this Japanese writing box with an arrangement of spring flowers on the lid. Turning the lid over reveals a pair of court drums in sprinkled gold with inlaid shell.

Our object of the month for February is this rare ivory tobacco box commemorating the birth of Charles Edward Stuart (1720 – 1788). The scene on the lid, carved in tiny detail, shows the infant Charles with a crown above his head, and his parents seated either side of him.

Our Object of the Month for January is this Japanese lacquer figure of a mythical creature known as a shojo. Shojo are known for their love of Japanese rice wine, or sake, which is enjoyed as part of New Year celebrations as well as all year round! The shojo is kneeling and offering a sake bottle decorated in flakes of gold leaf.

December’s Object of the Month was chosen for its depiction of the traditional Christmas scene – Mary and Joseph in the stable gazing down at the infant Jesus. It was painted in oil on a wooden panel in 15th century Catalonia.

Our Object of the Month for November is this Japanese lacquer box covered with autumnal motifs. A silver disc representing the moon hangs above an autumn forest, with a flock of white herons or egrets perching in the trees. The inner tray reveals another traditional scene associated with autumn.