The Wonder Cabinet has a new artistic display of a jellyfish! Created by artist, Andrea Spencer, a glass model of a moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) was commissioned by the Education Team at the National Museum of Ireland. Visitors to the Museum can now view it alongside a range of other real and replica specimens exploring the theme of predator and prey, in the one-of-a kind specially designed The Wonder Cabinet.
The glass model is an artistic representation of a moon jellyfish, one of Ireland’s most common jellyfish and named for its see-through, moon-like bell body.
The fragile model is displayed at a height and designed to be viewed from below, or through a mirror, to give the viewer an unusual perspective and not unlike how we often encounter real-life jellyfish, while swimming in our coastal waters.
Why did we add in a moon jellyfish?
It is all because of the turtle! When you visit the Wonder Cabinet you will see a large loggerhead turtle, and we wanted to have a display of the kind of food it would eat. This adult turtle was found on a beach in Co. Galway. These turtles eat animals, such as the moon jellyfish, while they migrate through the Atlantic Ocean. Sea turtles need to eat hundreds of jellyfish to give them enough food and energy to swim the vast distances they travel. During our events we also wanted to talk about the fact that sometimes turtles mistake pollution, such as plastic bags, as their favourite food, a jellyfish.
How was the model created?
Andrea’s work is inspired by nature. In her studio she goes through a process of investigation of the natural world through the medium of glass. Beginning with glass rods and tubes, she manipulates and sculpts to create a bespoke piece with unique properties.
In her own words –
'I sense a deep connection to nature, I'm specifically drawn to the tidal traces that constantly renew and replenish the landscape of the strandline. This place of chaos, constant change, markers of time and shifting sands provides an endless source of fascination and inspiration for my work.
Using heat and gravity, I manipulate glass in an open flame to express the essence of a subject, striving for a kind of truth. The privilege to create a Moon Jellyfish for the Natural History Museum Wonder Cabinet was a unique opportunity to communicate the grace of this amazing invertebrate as seen in its natural habitat.'
Why use glass to make the model?
When creating the designs for The Wonder Cabinet with Architects AP+E, we decided we wanted to show what jellyfish look like when they were moving, when we see them when swimming in the sea. One way museums exhibit jellyfish is to keep them preserved in spirits in a jar, but this way of displaying jellyfish often makes it difficult to get an idea of what they look like. Museums have a long tradition of using glass models to show what invertebrates, animals without a backbone, look like and this includes jellyfish. By asking artist, Andrea, to create the model we are then carrying on a traditional museum method of displaying what jellyfish look like. Andrea has given us an insight into the shape and parts of a jellyfish and how it looks when it is swimming through the sea.
What is a jellyfish?
Jellyfish are free-swimming marine animals that we regularly see washed up on our local beaches. Lacking a backbone, these invertebrates are about 95% water and have no brain, blood or heart! Moon jellyfish are round in shape (about the size of a plate!) with small tentacles that hang down from the sides of its shallow translucent bell. It uses the adapted stinging cells on its small delicate tentacles to capture tiny prey, while it’s four long ‘arms’ gather prey underneath the bell, where it is digested. Yummy!
When there are warm temperatures in the summer months and there is plenty of food, it is normal for jellyfish to grow fast and reach large numbers. Scientists think that we might be seeing more jellyfish than before because ocean conditions are changing due to the climate crisis.
Ireland regularly records six types of true jellyfish around the coast, including the moon jellyfish, compass jellyfish, barrel jellyfish, mauve stinger, blue jellyfish and the Lion’s mane.
What other jellyfish are at the Museum?
At the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, we also have real jellyfish on display. Since jellyfish are mostly made up of water there is no such things as jellyfish taxidermy! In museums, jellyfish are preserved as ‘Wet Collections’ in jars of liquid spirit. This spirit mixture means they don’t decay and instead can be used in on-going important scientific research. You can see some examples of these on display on the ground floor of the Museum, such as a compass jellyfish, barrel jellyfish, blue jellyfish, the mauve stinger and even a moon jellyfish.
Another way of displaying jellyfish in a museum setting is with the use of models and the Museum holds an incredibly important collection of over 500 unique glass models of marine invertebrates (including jellyfish) made in the late 19th century by father and son team, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. These accurate, life-sized or magnified representations of marine life are some of the world’s finest masterpieces in glasswork. These were commissioned by museums in the past as they were one of the best ways to bring soft-bodied animals, like jellyfish, to life for study and general awe. These models are very delicate and at the moment whilst the museum is undergoing building works the majority are safely tucked away in storage, however, you can still view Blaschka glass models of a compass jellyfish, a squid and a selection of sea anemones and sea slugs on the ground floor of the Museum.
Did you know?
The first person in the world to breed jellyfish in captivity was an Irishwoman!
Maude Delap (1866-1953) was a self-trained marine scientist that lived on Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. She spent her life working in her home laboratory recording experiments on marine-life in home-made sea aquariums. As a young girl and woman she was not provided with a formal education, however, this did not stop her becoming interested and studying science. She educated herself becoming the first person in the world to breed jellyfish in captivity and observe their complex lifecycles. Maude, was one of many scientists that donated animals to the Museum’s scientific collection of over two million specimens.
Where can I see the moon jellyfish model?
The moon jellyfish model is located at The Wonder Cabinet on the Ground floor of the Museum. When you visit The Wonder Cabinet you will see predators and prey, side by side such as the huge loggerhead sea turtle, alongside one of its favourite food, the moon jellyfish!
Don’t forget you can also see up close a model of a giant fossil shark tooth and shark jaw for you to touch!
At the Museum we are looking forward to showing the new moon jellyfish model to inspire and engage visitors in upcoming events at The Wonder Cabinet.
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