The hashtag Museum101 asked museums to showcase the creepiest and most bizarre items they house in their collections – and boy did they deliver.
Here, we count down the 10 best entries – or should that be worst?
10. These critters chilling in a stomach
We have so many freaky objects. This horse stomach infested with botfly larvae is pretty frightening #museum101 pic.twitter.com/21NIAUBFyg
— Cole Zoology Museum (@ColeZoology) February 15, 2017
What did the horse do to deserve this – and why does it look like the botfly larvae are smiling?
9. The Museum of English Rural Life’s creepy dolls
What would you put in your #Museum101?
We're with @derbymuseums & @NantwichMuseum and contributing our creepy dolls. pic.twitter.com/qbcGdHwFvL
— MuseumEngRuralLife (@TheMERL) February 15, 2017
There's something even creepier about them all tucked in, like a napping vampire…#museum101 pic.twitter.com/Bjw2bs5XJH
— MuseumEngRuralLife (@TheMERL) February 15, 2017
Eyes as dark as their soul – but wait until you see their hands.
How many souls hath this hand caught, crushed and consumed?#museum101 pic.twitter.com/mt80dFm7Df
— MuseumEngRuralLife (@TheMERL) February 15, 2017
Send for help.
8. This clown from Leeds
Clowns – need i say more!?! Close up of Byam Shaw's "Such is Life" @LeedsMuseums @LeedsArtGallery #museum101 pic.twitter.com/V7OZpaLXyt
— Behind the Scenes (@leedsregistrars) February 15, 2017
Just not a character you’d want round for a kids’ party.
7. This self-portrait made of blood
Which objects in our Collection terrify you? Perhaps Marc Quinn's Self, a self-portrait made from 8 pints of the artist's blood? #Museum101 pic.twitter.com/TA9ImGZZyF
— Portrait Gallery (@NPGLondon) February 15, 2017
How is Marc standing exactly?
6. This disembodied hand keeping it real
Sinister hand – remains of a wax doll (acquired in this state in 1940 – why?) #Museum101 @Museum101 @LeedsMuseums @leedsregistrars @SHCG1 pic.twitter.com/0eGupjIV1F
— Kitty Ross (@CuratorKitty) February 15, 2017
Gnarly. No genuinely, we know it’s made of wax but that’s genuinely a gnarled hand.That or the model was supposed to depict someone who just scored for France – give it to them, Antoine Griezmann.Sporza GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY
Nailed it.
5. Almost the worst taxidermy ever
@museum101 and #badtaxidermy were made for each other… this one stays safely in our stores where it can't bother anyone. pic.twitter.com/LWGP3Jc7yx
— The Potteries Museum (@PotteriesMuseum) February 15, 2017
Ah to die in dignity. This is probably not okay.
4. Probably the worst taxidermy ever
What would you put in your #museum101? We're putting in bad taxidermy! Search #museum101 to join the convo #whathappenedhere pic.twitter.com/rtRbJdRK28
— Culture Syndicates (@CultureSyndicat) February 15, 2017
This is definitely not okay.
3. These wax models with pins in their face
One of the scariest objects – POMSTA [revenge]: figurine of wax & stearin, animal hair formed the figure of a woman; pins. #museum101 pic.twitter.com/7Enzf4jedg
— Muzeum Etnograficzne (@ethnomuseumwars) February 15, 2017
Whoever made this was barking up the wrong tree.
Sorry.
"Pomsta" [revenge]=Polish voodoo: woman`s wax figure stick w/t pins to polypore + description "You`ll die, witch" #museum101 pic.twitter.com/agko9dvC9V
— Muzeum Etnograficzne (@ethnomuseumwars) February 15, 2017
Not sorry.
2. This wild beast playing the violin
Eek! @YorkCastle #museum101 pic.twitter.com/NnzlEiuGwM
— Julieanne McMahon (@jewelyanne_mc) February 15, 2017
No need for sinister strings music – this creature brought its own.
Why is it hosting a tea party, what on earth type of creature is it – we guess it’s a mammal – and why is it staring into our soul? There’s many questions here – too many.
1. This monkey chef and his friends
The one you’ve been waiting for. For our top spot this is one of a collection of entries from the site Just Collecting – and what makes them really sinister is they’re automatons, so they actually move.
The example above is a musical automaton which is apparently supposed to depict a monkey pastry chef cooking his neighbour’s cat. The piece from 1885 is also worth more than £10,000. Before you let that sink in – wait, there’s more.
Another musical monkey. This one’s all fancy and plays piano – imagine stumbling across this and it started playing.
Mortifying. There’s even more though – such as this other monkey smoking a cigarette, obviously.
Perfectly normal. There’s a fancy-looking moon smoking too.
At least his monocle means he’s classy.
Oh, then there’s this.
According to the site, this piece features “a winged clown teasing the Moon with a beetle on a string”.
There’s really nothing more to be said.
For the full list of these rather sinister automatons – click here.