Popular Objects



Hoop and rod
A small metal boulie hoop and rod with a wooden handle. This was a popular Victorian toy which was played in the street. Part of the Teaching Collection (Child loans box).



Blade, polished
Polished stone blade (axe) with side facets, shows evidence of longditudinal polishing, end of blade has been broken. Other number: 222. The Langdales and sites in the central Lake District were the sites of a Neolithic axe production. Roughouts of axes were produced by flaking at source. The roughouts were then taken to polishing sites away from the central fells, often on the coast e.g. north Walney. Roughouts were finished by grinding them on selected stones, e.g. gritstones and sandstones. In addition to use as tools, polished stones were so valued by prehistoric peoples they are often found deposited in ritual or special places, e.g. ditches of henges and stone circles. There is good evidence that these prestige objects were exchanged extensively in England and Ireland.



Grater
Three piece grater, hinged to fold flat. Various textures from nutmeg to vegetables. Graters were in use by the 17th century to provide bread crumbs which had many uses in cooking. By the 19th century it was common for graters to be provided with several different grating textures. Part of the Teaching Collection (Victorian loans box).