A bit of randomness today as I offer a selection of round items from our collection.   And a few thoughts on how any museum collection can be inherently random by the very fact that it exists.

All collections can be grouped in some way, and many of our pieces are part of a whole or set of items.  For example, a tea set used onboard a ship.   Let’s say it consists of a teapot, cream pitcher, sugar bowl, two cups, two saucers and two spoons.   Of these items, the teapot may have come in from one source, the pitcher and bowl from another and so on….   Yet each of the items eventually made their way to the museum where they were joined together in our Collections database.   They are now linked together by their association to a particular ship or ship line.   Read more