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Mammoth's tooth on display in new exhibition of pairs

Mammoth tooth on display at museum Credit: Polar Museum

A woolly mammoth's tooth and the bones of a finback whale are being put on show in an exhibition at the Polar Museum in Cambridge.

The items are among many that have been provided on loan from a number of museums run by the University of Cambridge.

Objects from the University's museums have been paired with items from the collections at the Polar Museum which is part of the university-run, Scott Polar Research Institute.

Called "The Thing Is", the aim is to help visitors understand why they were collected, what their meaning is and how they are cared for.

Mammoths lived between 5 million and 4,500 years ago and the tooth has been paired with a piece of scrimshaw, an ivory carving made by whalers.

Skeleton of a Finback Whale Credit: Polar Museum

This display highlights some exceptional examples of connections between the eight University of Cambridge Museums.

– Heather Lane, The Polar Museum