Last week we were delighted to welcome some of the withy pot making community to join us for the opening of the Withy Lore exhibition in Helston. Weaving their way through the treasure trove of objects from years gone by to reach the exhibition space at the back of the museum, makers found themselves reunited with both each other and their pots & stories.
With thanks to funding from the Fishmongers Company, the Little Parc Owle’s Trust and the Basketmakers Association, together with artist Anna Pope, we have been able to create a new interpretation of the material collected through the Withy Lore project. The exhibition runs until the 1st November 2025, with some great activities, events and talks alongside it. These include a Family Fun Day on the 20th September, a talk with master maker Barry Mundy on 23rd September, a workshop with Anna Pope on 22nd November and much more. You can find out more about what’s on here.
Our collection of withy pot portraits have been transformed into an interactive display, posing visitors with the challenge of matching the withy pots! Constructing this from driftwood, kindly donated by Stephen, echoed how pot stands were typically made from reclaimed materials and is something that we are always striving to do. Colin’s excellent woodwork skills, mean that visitors can explore the images by flipping through the pots and portraits, reminiscent of the picture books where you match a creatures head, body and legs. The story collages which share extracts of oral histories, have now also been brought together in a new large book which also sits on a reclaimed stand.
The exhibition room at the Museum of Cornish Life has been a lovely space to spend time in, and we hope people enjoy visiting as much as we enjoyed putting it all together.
A big thank you to the pot making community, to the museum for kindly hosting the exhibition, and to the funders.
