A new exhibition at the Orkney Museum features a colourful Russian link with the islands in the 1800s.
The display is called Baltic bowls and Riga cups: Khokhloma ware in the Northern Isles.
“These beautifully decorated wooden artefacts were to be found in the homes of Orcadians and Shetlanders in the nineteenth century,” said museum curator Gail Drinkall.
“These brightly decorated lathe-turned wooden utensils came from Russia via the Baltic ports, especially Riga.
“They were brought home as souvenirs or bartered for local produce by men working in the Baltic fishing and timber trades.”
Many of the pieces on display have kindly been lent by Shetland Museum and Archives and by local collectors.
The exhibition runs until 16 February 2020. The Orkney Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00.
