Away with the fairies in Cirencester (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Away with the fairies in Cirencester

AN EXHIBITION full of treasures came to the Corinium Museum on Saturday to take visitors to the land of fairytales.

The Museum of Curiosities fits inside a 500-year-old suitcase and contains many fascinating items including the pea from 'The Princess and The Pea' and the rope from 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.

The suitcase is the work of artist Caroline Morris and has been touring the country for six years.

Caroline, who lives in Cirencester, describes her exhibition as a collection of objects which necessitate the suspension of people's disbelief.

Dressed as a museum curator from times past, Caroline guided visitors through the history of the curios in her suitcase. She explains why hope was the last thing left in Pandora's Box and how a pea was used to test the legitimacy of the princess in the famous tale.

The visit from the Museum of Curiosities came as the Corinium Museum launched its own Cabinets of Curiosity exhibition which runs until Monday, August 29.

The Cabinets of Curiosity feature all manner of interesting artefacts collected during the Victorian era from Egyptian statues to glassware. Many of the items are on display for the first time and all come from the museum's own collection.