The Royal Armouries revealed this image of Henry VIII's growing behind, from the 1520 when he was a young man to 1540 when he was increasingly obese
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Battle of the bums: Museums raise cheeky smile as they compete for title of the best behinds as visitor numbers plummet during pandemic

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  • Curators around the world are competing for title of ‘Best Museum Bum’ as part of a social media challenge 
  • Twitter has since been flooded with contributions from some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions
  • Included the Louvre’s statue of the Greek God Hermaphroditos and armour for Henry VIII’s growing behind

It’s a museum publicity stunt that could prompt accusations of being a ‘race to the bottom’. 

Curators around the world are competing for the title of ‘Best Museum Bum’ as part of a social media challenge started by the Yorkshire Museum to provide some fun after visitor numbers plummeted during the pandemic. 

Twitter has since been flooded with contributions from some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions, from the Louvre’s statue of the Greek God Hermaphroditos to an extra-large coat of armour that once housed Henry VIII’s growing behind.

Curators around the world are competing for the title of 'Best Museum Bum' as part of a social media challenge started by the Yorkshire Museum. This statue of a sleeping Hermaphroditus was put forward by the Louvre Museum
Curators around the world are competing for the title of ‘Best Museum Bum’ as part of a social media challenge started by the Yorkshire Museum. This statue of a sleeping Hermaphroditus was put forward by the Louvre Museum
The initiative attracted plenty of submissions from overseas, including this suggestive number from the Musee Des Arts Metiers in Paris
The initiative attracted plenty of submissions from overseas, including this suggestive number from the Musee Des Arts Metiers in Paris
The Huddersfield Art Gallery suggested Blue Jacket by Henry Scott Tuke
The Huddersfield Art Gallery suggested Blue Jacket by Henry Scott Tuke
A nude put forward by Filoli Historic House & Garden
A nude put forward by Filoli Historic House & Garden
The Old Operating Theatre near London Bridge entered the contest with this anatomical figure from its collection
The Old Operating Theatre near London Bridge entered the contest with this anatomical figure from its collection
The Royal Armouries revealed this image of Henry VIII's growing behind, from the 1520 when he was a young man to 1540 when he was increasingly obese
The Royal Armouries revealed this image of Henry VIII’s growing behind, from the 1520 when he was a young man to 1540 when he was increasingly obese
The Museum of Oxford revealed a medieval wooden figure that had a flattened rear end thanks to hundreds of years of touching
The Museum of Oxford revealed a medieval wooden figure that had a flattened rear end thanks to hundreds of years of touching
The Yorkshire Museum's own entry was a 'cracking statute of a Roman athlete'
The Yorkshire Museum’s own entry was a ‘cracking statute of a Roman athlete’
he York Art Gallery had one more the more eclectic contributions, suggesting the rear end of a drunken fish made by the artist Pamela Mei Yee Leung
he York Art Gallery had one more the more eclectic contributions, suggesting the rear end of a drunken fish made by the artist Pamela Mei Yee Leung
The Two Rivers Gallery in Canada suggested a watercolour by Charles Binning
The Two Rivers Gallery in Canada suggested a watercolour by Charles Binning
The Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokoyo tweeted this illustration of a swaggering sumo wrestler
The Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokoyo tweeted this illustration of a swaggering sumo wrestler

The Yorkshire Museum, which has been shut since March and is raising funds to ensure it can reopen, launched the initiative under the hashtag #BestMuseumBum, kicking off the contest with its own ‘cracking statue of a Roman athlete’. 

From the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokoyo came a swaggering sumo wrestler, while the Museum of Oxford revealed a statue of a medieval woman whose rear had been flattened by centuries of touching.   

The York Art Gallery had one more the more eclectic contributions, suggesting the rear end of a drunken fish made by the artist Pamela Mei Yee Leung, who created mythological creatures marrying animals and humans together. 

Continued…Read full original article…

Source: Daily Mail

Original publication 23 July, 2020

Posted on NatCorn 15th August 2020

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