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Mini Museum: 33 of the world's most interesting objects on your desk for £140

From a piece of the oldest matter on Earth to fibres from an Ancient Egyptian mummy's wrap - these resin blocks contain the wonders of the world

James Vincent
Wednesday 26 February 2014 16:17 GMT
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How would you like to own 33 of the most interesting items in the world?

This is the pitch behind a new Kickstarter project called the Mini Museum, which promises pocket-sized collections from objects spanning “billions of years of life, science and history”.

For $239 (£143) backers of the project will receive a resin block containing various rare fragments. Everything from mammoth hair to a fragment of coal from the Titanic is included.

There are fibres from an Ancient Egyptian mummy’s wrap, pieces of the Apollo 11 command module, bit of human brain and – essential in any mad collection of interesting objects – a prehistoric insect trapped in amber.

See below for a selection of the objects that will go into the Mini Museums - or visit the Kickstarter page to see the full list for yourself.

Each collection (described as “a portable learning tool, a smart and rare ice breaker, and a wonderful piece of historical art”) is handcrafted and encased in clear resin, with backers able to choose from three different sizes – containing between 11 and 33 different fragments.

Hans Fex, the man behind the project, says that he has been sourcing items for over 35 years, obtaining items from specialists recommended to him by "museum curators, research scientists and university historians".

Fex says that he was inspired to undertake the product by his father, a research scientist and a Director at the National Institutes of Health.

"My father kept an amazing collection of artifacts at his laboratory office and also at home," writes Fex on his funding page. "In 1977, the historic year of Star Wars and the Atari 2600, my father had returned from Malta with some artifacts that he had embedded into epoxy resin. I had never seen this done before and it was beautiful."

The project has already smashed its Kickstarter target and Fex hopes to start shipping the Mini Museums later this year.

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