The significance of the Swimming Reindeer to Creswell Crags
Creswell Crags is delighted to have the Swimming Reindeer, one of the most important pieces of Ice Age sculpture, on loan from the British Museum as part of their Spotlight Tours. It is one of the greatest treasures of the British Museum’s collection and was included in the British Museum/ BBC Radio 4 partnership programme, A History of the World in 100 Objects.
The 13,000 year old object will be the focus of a new, temporary exhibition held at Creswell Crags Visitor Centre entitled The Swimming Reindeer: Ice Age Art and Storytelling, which explores the relationship between art and the practice of telling stories in everyday life. Links are drawn with Creswell’s own rich Ice Age art. The intricately carved sculpture was fashioned from the tip of a mammoth’s tusk at around the same time that Ice Age man was creating the beautiful engravings on the wall of Church Hole and pieces of portable art which were found in the caves at Creswell Crags.
“We value the opportunity to work collaboratively with the British Museum once again, to create and exciting display to attract new audiences” explains Ian Wall, Director of Creswell Heritage Trust.
The exhibition will run from 20th October through to the 16th December and admission is free. Creswell Crags will be celebrating the launch of the exhibition in style with a free, reindeer-themed family fun day with activities for all the family including trails, antler-hoopla, crafts and storytelling on Saturday 20th October, 10 – 4pm.