Mothers in our collection

To celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday 6 March, we thought we’d have a look around our collection for where ‘mothers’ might appear. Here are just a few…

Go on, treat your mum

Looking for an inspiring gift? We’ve got loads of beautiful ideas in our online shop and in our shops at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and M Shed, both of which are open on Mother’s Day for a cultural treat.

 

 

1. Portrait of the Hon. Frances Courtenay, Lady Honywood and her Daughter by Sir Joshua Reynolds

You can see this painting in our online collection search, or on display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

 

2.  Lion skull

This lion skull from the research collection belonged to a lioness that had been a gift to Bristol Zoo Gardens from Queen Victoria. The lioness was named Victoria, and soon after she came to Bristol she gave birth to four cubs. The old Zoo records state that Victoria was a very good mother to her cubs: “The lioness shows such motherly solicitude for the youngsters that she is only seen when she comes down to dinner.” In fact she made such a good mother that she had 23 cubs during her lifetime! Read more on our blog: The Lost Lioness Returns.

 

3. Jabez Hill convict token

A criminal whose death sentence was commuted to transportation to Australia, he had this bronze penny engraved with a message to his mother as a keepsake and a reminder of her son. It reads “My Mother / dear contented / be, we may again ea / ch other see, in hea / ven where there is no / pain, I hope we both / shall meet again.”

 

4. Model of a ship called the ‘Queen Mother’

A 1:48 scale model of the pilot boat Queen Mother built by Charles Hill & Sons Ltd, Bristol, which worked in the Bristol Channel, between 1955-1968. It provided a base for pilots joining and leaving ships there. You can see this on display at M Shed or on our online collection search.

 

5. The Virgin and Child with Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Antony Abbot and Saint John the Baptist

See this painting by Lorenzo di Niccolò in our online collection search.

 

6. Ifa divination bowl from Nigeria, Yoruba people, 19^th century

This is a figure of a mother with large breasts holding a bowl above her head. She is seated and a baby is carried behind her. “Ifa” is a system of divination that uses 16 palm kernels or kola nuts to advise people. This cup is thought to be part of the equipment of an “Ifa” priest, used to hold the palm kernels.

 

7. Koala and her joey

Here’s our mother koala with her joey, who will spend six months in the pouch. You can visit them in the World Wildlife gallery at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery or see them in the online collection search.

 

8. The Artist and her Mother by Rolinda Sharples

This beautiful painting is on display in the second floor art galleries at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Rolinda Sharples’ mother, Ellen Sharples, was also an artist. When she died in 1849 she left £2,000 which helped fund the building of the RWA.