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Land Snail Shells
The Academy's Malacology Collection
West Africa, East Africa, Cuba, Paupa New Guinea
The Marveling at Mollusks exhibit above
the main entrance showcases shells and specimens of other mollusks from the
Academy's Malacology Department. My favorite was the land snails. The
collection includes Cuban Tree Snails, Emerald Tree Snails, and Giant African
Snails. The shells are beautiful and unique. They are an example of how nature
creates beautiful objects that are functional. Snails are one of my favorite
creatures which are another reason why I like this object. I find them
fascinating and my friends associate them with me because I like them so
much.
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| Additional Land Snail Shells seen at Shell Show Festival on October 20, 2012 |
The shells were
collected by the Academy's scientists, in this case an expert in Malacology,
the study of mollusks. It's on display in glass cases with black sand and black
backgrounds. The stark background and sand contrast greatly against the
specimens and allow them to stand out and pop. Each case has a label in front
of it that is easy to read and provides and interesting information about the
specimens. The bright green Emerald Tree Snail shells are vivid and stand out
in the case, but in the jungles where they are found, they are
actually camouflaged. Other specimens in this space include shells from
clams, scallops, conches, nautiluses, and other mollusks. The array of
different mollusk shells allows for comparisons between the species and notice
trends and similarities. For example, the spiral patterns in snail shells are
similar to the chambered nautiluses, and allowed me to think about the nature
of mathematics and the Fibonacci spiral.
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| Shells in display case with text panel |
Fields of study to
enrich my understanding would be to study Malacology and learn more about
mollusks and snails. Going to exotic locales such as Cuba, Philippines, and
Taiwan to look at some of the snails in their natural habitat wouldn't hurt
either.
Those who would
not be interested in this object could be those who find snails creepy or gross
or those who are not interested in mollusks in general. Opposing views would
find the shells repetitive and too similar to distinguish differences between
the specimens. Others could also oppose to the information provided on the text
panel and could want either more scientific details, or more fun facts.
Other experiences
that would engage the viewer would be the Shell Show Festival the museum held
three weeks ago. The festival had crafts, activities, and live animals, along
with the actual shell show that showcased scientific data and shell collections
from experts to amateurs. The festival also featured Sailor's Valentines, which
were stunning art pieces made entirely of shells. Programming I could develop
would be about these Sailor's Valentines and how they are made and
designed and other explorations into crafting with shells. Here are some of the examples of crafts and Valentine's I saw at the show.
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| Piece made entirely of shells, including vase |
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| Sailor's Valentine made entirely of shells and sea urchin needles |
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| Large flowers made entirely of shells |
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