Museum plan for textiles

A Tahitian mourner's costume made of barkcloth and pearl shell presented to Captain Cook is among hidden treasures likely to go on display in a world textile centre to be created within the British Museum's proposed pounds 20m study centre.

The costume is one of 18,000 examples of textiles dispersed throughout the museum's many departments, which will be brought together in the centre - the former Royal Mail West Central Sorting Office in New Oxford Street.

Aided by pounds 8.1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, it will also house the museum's archaeological material and collections of the Department of Ethnography. Stephen Goodwin