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Objects Of Intrigue

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Charles I, c. 1635-1636
objects of intrigue

The Glamorous Pearl Earring King Charles I Wore to His Execution

Since childhood, he refused to part with it.
Michael Waters July 6, 2017
A glirarium, or dormouse fattener.
objects of intrigue

The Dormouse-Fattening Jars of Ancient Rome

For the plumpest, tastiest rodents.
Carly Silver June 26, 2017
The mask held at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, made in Malakula, Vanuatu, from matted spiders' webs.
objects of intrigue

These Hoods Made of Spider Webs Have Long Been Misunderstood

From Vanuatu, they've been described as "smothering hoods and "caps of death."
Natasha Frost June 26, 2017
Front of the five-cent bill featuring Clark
objects of intrigue

A Treasury Official in 1866 Put His Own Face on U.S. Currency

The bill was supposed to feature explorer William Clark instead.
Michael Waters June 19, 2017
Detail from The Great Historical Clock of America.
objects of intrigue

This Mechanical 19th-Century 'Clock of America' Animates U.S. History

It features a procession of tiny presidents and a light-up Statue of Liberty.
Eve Kahn June 13, 2017
What sex are these eggs?
objects of intrigue

The 1920s Sex Detector That Rocked the Poultry Industry

Could it really tell whether an egg held a hen or a rooster?
Michael Waters June 9, 2017
The mask.
objects of intrigue

Found: The Oldest Human-Made Metal Object Ever Discovered in South America

The mask appeared after a heavy rainstorm in the Andes.
Sarah Laskow June 6, 2017
A photo of the Ringling Brothers and their mustache cups.
objects of intrigue

A Look Back at the Mustache Cups That Kept Tea-Drinkers' Whiskers Dry

Equipped with a small ledge, they kept gents' facial hair from getting dunked.
Natasha Frost May 31, 2017
The Silver Snoopy pin.
objects of intrigue

NASA's Silver Snoopy Award, Explained

The cartoon beagle has been flying with the space agency since the 1960s.
Eric Grundhauser May 31, 2017
A Claude glass from around 1775.
objects of intrigue

The 18th-Century Phenomenon of Putting a Filter on a Sunset for Likes

Before Instagram, there was the Claude glass.
Jen Rose Smith May 25, 2017
Interesting Things at their traveling Museum
New York, New York

The Museum of Interesting Things

A hands-on traveling collection of the innovative devices of yesteryear.
Diogo Alves' pickled head.
objects of intrigue

See an Alarmingly Well-Preserved Human Head in a Jar at This Portuguese University

Though he died in 1841, Diogo Alves continues to serve face.
Rafaela Ferraz May 18, 2017
A vampire-killing kit from the Royal Armouries in Leeds, not quite as vintage as some might think.
objects of intrigue

Does it Even Matter if These Vintage Vampire-Killing Kits Are Real?

They're pretty covetable regardless.
Eve Kahn October 5, 2022
Bearded St. Wilgefortis, seen in a 15th-century manuscript, was the recipient of many toad votives.
objects of intrigue

The Tale of the Toad and the Bearded Female Saint

European women used to leave toad votives in holy places as pleas for divine help.
Sarah Laskow May 10, 2017
An Elvis Presley-owned prescription bottle and box for Inderal, 1976.
objects of intrigue

There Are People Who Pay Thousands for the Empty Pill Bottles of Dead Celebrities

Stars in question have included Elvis, Truman Capote, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe.
Eve Kahn May 5, 2017
Can you hear the hunting horn cry of the Lord of Misrule?
objects of intrigue

Secrets of the Swazzle

Meet the hidden tool that defines what a Punch and Judy show sounds like.
Eric Grundhauser April 27, 2017
A wooden bowling ball unearthed by digging work for London's Crossrail project. It was discovered at the site of the Tudor King John’s Court manor house in Stepney Green. It's now on display at a new exhibit, <em>Tunnel: The Archaeology of Crossrail</em>, at the Museum of London Docklands.
objects of intrigue

When Bowling Was a Sport Reserved for Royalty

King Henry VIII famously banned commoners from participating.
Lauren Young March 2, 2017
A later example of a visard from a 1751 painting.
objects of intrigue

When High-Class Ladies Wore Masks That Made It Impossible to Speak

In the 16th century, avoiding a sunburn meant being mute and looking super creepy.
Eric Grundhauser February 27, 2017