Star objects

RAMM cares for wonderful and diverse collections consisting of over one million individual objects and specimens from all over the globe. Star Objects shines a light on some of RAMM’s most iconic and famous objects in the collection. From an extraordinary hoard of Roman coins discovered in East Devon, to our famous giraffe named Gerald. Delve into Exeter’s astonishing history and discover the remarkable stories that lie behind some of RAMM’s treasured collections.

Featuring a series of videos, RAMM staff and volunteers tell us why they love each of the sixteen objects, and hear the fascinating stories that make these items so special. You can explore RAMM’s star objects by expanding the sections below.

The Treasures

Joey the Stanley crane was born in South Africa and brought to the UK in 1914. He lived happily at Kew Gardens for many years where his personality gained him a lot of attention from the public and the press. Find out more about Joey here.

Collections Officer Holly Morgenroth talks about Joey the Stanley Crane

This helmet was discovered in 1870 on the shore of the Euripus Strait in Greece. It would have belonged to a ‘hoplite’, an armoured soldier who fought on foot with a long spear. It is a beautiful example of a Corinthian style helmet, with nose protector and eye openings; its punched decoration can be seen around the rim. 

Dating from the early part of the 5th century BC, this helmet would have belonged to a ‘hoplite’, an armoured soldier who fought on foot with a long spear.

This commemorative totem pole’s name is Ilchinik, in honour of a very powerful and successful whaler. It is made of red cedar wood. It stands in the gallery at 5 metres tall. The pole celebrates the historic connections between the Captain Cook artefacts donated to RAMM and the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island.

This commissioned red cedar pole celebrates the connections between Exeter and the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island. Renowned Nuu-chah-nulth artist and master carver Tim Paul carved the pole.
Following the completion of the totem pole on Wednesday 24th June 1998, the final ceremony was to dedicate the pole, standing in its final position in the New World Cultures Gallery. Members of the Nuu-chah-nulth group performed a series of ‘cicas’ (or chants).

Made in Japan some time after 1500, this Samurai armour (tosei gosuku) is a decorative version, unlikely to have seen active service. The suit is made of lacquered metal plates laced with gold-coloured silk braid. It’s intricate design is complete with lots of ornate lacing, paint, plating, braids, and knots of many differently coloured materials.

This suit of armour was not used in combat. It is made from two different suits of armour, as the helmet and shoes come from another suit. Highly decorative, it includes a wide variety of materials such as silk, metal, and leather.

Made in Tahiti, the Tahitian chief mourner’s costume is a spectacular collection of clothing, its purpose was to mourn aristocratic or high status individuals. It’s a very intricate costume, made out of lots of material. A tremendous amount of hard work went into the making of this costume, including cutting the wood without the use of iron and cutting the pearl shell into tiny rectangles,  

The full design involves a cape and tunic, a breastplate, an ope arrangement, headdress, clappers, and a face mask.

This imposing costume was made in Tahiti to mourn aristocratic individuals. A senior relative would appear in a mourner’s costume to lead a spectacular procession, accompanied by family members.

Charlotte Treadwin was an internationally important designer and lace maker. Her lace collection was one of the first collections to come to RAMM in the 1860’s. Lace-making was a really important industry in East Devon and helped many families to earn a living. Read more about Charlotte Treadwin’s lace collection in a research blog.

Colour photograph of a piece of white lace on red backing fabric. The lace incorporates flowers, leaves and a lattice design.
Charlotte Treadwin was an internationally important designer and lace maker. Her lace collection was one of the first collections to come to RAMM in the 1860’s. Lace-making was a really important industry in East Devon and helped many families to earn a living.

Eshu is a Yoruban deity. In a protective role, Eshu stood in the palace gateway in both male and female forms. Only the male form is now at RAMM. Oba Ogunbona, a senior chief of Abeokuta, reportedly ‘presented’ the figure to Rev. Henry Townsend.

Eshu is a Yoruban deity. In a protective role, Eshu stood in the palace gateway in both male and female forms. Only the male form is now at RAMM.

Meteors are lumps of rock that hurtle through space after breaking off from planets or moons. During this process, they usually splinter into fragments and fall to planets and moons, these are called meteorites. The largest lumps eventually reach the Earth’s surface.

Some meteorites contain tiny glassy spheres, called chondrules. These may have been created by the sun’s heat which would melt dust and small pieces of debris. This was a common occurrence while our solar system was still in its earliest stages of formation. The rock often starts to melt on the outside during its journey through the earth’s atmosphere. Most meteorites have a thin black coating or fusion crust.


The meteorite is four billion years old and is an early relic from the formation of our planet. Staff discovered it in the geology collection at RAMM in the 1990s.

Gerald the giraffe is one of RAMM’s most iconic specimens and would have been an outstanding animal when alive. This adult male giraffe has been an extremely popular exhibit at the Museum since 1920. In 1901 he encountered big game hunter Charles Victor Alexander Peel at Moshi, Tanzania, close to the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in what were German Territories. Gerald’s display at the museum has proven to be a popular one, elevating him to mascot status for the RAMM.

Gerald the Giraffe is RAMM’s most iconic specimen.

Barbara Hepworth made this bronze cast sculpture in 1966. Her interest in pierced forms began in the 1930s when she was an advocate of direct carving against modelling. However by the late 1950s she had also turned to bronze casting. It is likely that Zennor inspired the name of the piece. Zennor is a hamlet, close to her home in St. Ives, Cornwall.

Barbara Hepworth made this bronze cast sculpture in 1966. Her interest in pierced forms began in the 1930s when she was an advocate of direct carving against modelling. However by the late 1950s she had also turned to bronze casting. The sculpture is possibly inspired by the hamlet of Zennor, close to Hepworth’s home in St. Ives, Cornwall.

Francis Danby painted this seemingly tranquil scene in 1855 but in the distance, behind the becalmed sailing ship, is a puff of smoke from a steam train – a transport revolution is underway.

Francis Danby painted this seemingly tranquil scene in 1855 but in the distance, behind the becalmed sailing ship, is a puff of smoke from a steam train – a transport revolution is underway.

Caleb Hedgeland built this model between 1817 and 1824 to record the city as it was during the late 1700s. It is one of the earliest surviving models of any town in Britain.

The Hedgeland model of Exeter is one of the earliest surviving models of any town in Britain. Caleb Hedgeland constructed the model between 1817 and 1824 to record the city as it was during the late 1700s.

Discovered in pieces during building works in 1899 and reconstructed by a conservator at the British museum. The Exeter puzzle jug is one of the most extraordinary pieces of medieval ceramics to ever be discovered in northern Europe.

The Exeter puzzle jug is one of the most extraordinary pieces of medieval ceramics from northern Europe. Workers discovered it in pieces during building works in 1899 at the junction of Bear Street and South Street in Exeter. A conservator at the British Museum reconstructed it in the 1930s.

The Seaton Down coin hoard consists of approximately 22,888 coins. The vast majority are 4th century nummi associated with Constantine I, his family and other sub-emperors of the time. A few examples of earlier radiates were found with the hoard but these must have been in accidental circulation at the time.

There are 22,888 Roman coins in the hoard, by far the largest coin hoard found in Devon and the third largest ever found in Britain.

In 1867, quarrymen near Kingsteignton discovered this incredibly rare Iron Age figure. Radiocarbon dating found the figure to be 2,400 years old. The object only survived due to the wet conditions and the clay it was found in.

Quarrymen discovered this incredibly rare Iron Age figure near Kingsteignton in 1867. Radiocarbon dating found the figure to be 2,400 years old.

Rynchosaurs were lizard-like animals that lived around 250 million years ago in a period known as the Triassic. Devon’s red sandstone cliffs contain their fossilised remains. Chiefly among these fossils, archaeologists found the skull fragment at Peak Hill near Sidmouth.

Rynchosaurs were lizard-like animals that lived around 250 million years ago in a period known as the Triassic. Devon’s red sandstone cliffs contain their fossilised remains. The skull fragment was found at Peak Hill near Sidmouth.