A new exhibition exploring the history of colours will open at Saffron Walden Museum next month.
Bone Black, a Brief History of Colours opens on Saturday, November 12, and will delve into the wide range of materials and processes which create colour in both man-made and natural objects.
Using the museum's collections, the exhibition traces the history of colours and explores both the making and meaning of colour across different cultures and the natural world.
Bringing together art and science, the exhibition explores how people overcame the technical processes involved in creating colour.
It also examines the origins of colour - whether from the natural world or human invention, with objects ranging from minerals to textiles and everything in between.
The objects will be grouped by colour in a rainbow. Mineral specimens show the origins of many pigments and plant specimens will shine a light on traditional dyes and inks.
Each colour will also be represented with a range of objects from across the museum's collections, including social history, archaeological, worldwide cultures and natural sciences.
Visitors will be able to hear, smell and touch colours through a sensory table, which was designed in partnership with Support 4 Sight.
Masuma Ali, community dundraiser at Support 4 Sight, said: “Everyone thinks of colours differently, what a colour may mean to them, what a colour may smell like or sound like.
"It has been fantastic to be involved to make the exhibition accessible for blind and partially sighted people."
The interactive elements have been made in collaboration with a range of local groups, including Creative Walden, museum visitors, a local choir and the Community Shed - with the aim of making the exhibition more accessible.
Charlotte Pratt, the museum's learning and outreach officer and the exhibition curator, said: "I am grateful for the support and advice given by the team at Support 4 Sight. They, along with the local groups and individuals, have hopefully made this the museum’s most accessible exhibition to date."
The museum is open from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4.30pm and Sundays from 2pm to 4.30pm.
Admission is £2.50 for adults, £1.25 for concessions and free for children.
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