There’s an opportunity to get a little bit star-struck, or at least a wee bit closer to some well-known celebrities including Sir Sean Connery and crime writer Ian Rankin, at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery.
Until Saturday, March 1, visitors can view Silver of the Stars, an exhibition featuring beautiful silverware created as a result of a project which paired 10 international celebrities in the fields of film, fashion, music, theatre and literature and 10 of Scotland’s finest silversmiths.
Each pair collaborated on the design for a piece of silver on the most beautiful moment, a drink with a close friend.
The result is a hugely varied collection of drinking vessels from quaichs, absinthe goblets and teapots to claret and Irn-Bru jugs.
Nicola Benedetti was paired with Roger Millar to create a hot-chocolate pot and mugs; Robbie Coltrane collaborated on a whisky set with Grant McCaig, while Michael Lloyd designed a quaich for Sir Sean Connery.
Cóilin Ó Dubhghail based his Harley-Davidson motorbike teapot design on a drawing by Billy Connolly; Lulu’s handleless teapot was designed by Linda Robertson and Sir Cameron Mackintosh has a claret jug and beakers by Sarah Cave.
Marion Kane designed Ewan McGregor’s chunky coffee pot and cream jug with recycled motorbike handles; Alexander McQueen’s absinthe goblet, by Graham Stewart, was based on mediaeval feasting goblets, and Ian Rankin’s architectural Irn-Bru set by John Creed was inspired by the Forth Bridge.
Singer Sharleen Spiteri’s fringed and diamond-studded tea-set was designed by Sarah Hutchison.
The Silver of the Stars exhibition is created by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh.
Also on display is The Millennium Collection for Bute House, which was made to coincide with the return of parliament to Scotland.
It is on permanent loan to the first minister and the Scottish Government to promote the quality and skills of Scottish silversmiths.
The collection of tableware was made by 15 of Scotland’s top silversmiths.
It is now owned by the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, a charity set up to promote silversmithing in Scotland.
The collection is used in Bute House, the official Edinburgh residence of the first minister, where it has been used by visiting heads of state, political leaders and guests from around the world.
Each piece bears the special commemorative Millennium hallmark which could only be applied during the years 1999 and 2000.
The silversmiths involved making it are: Malcolm Appleby, Adrian Hope, Gordon Burnett, Sarah Cave, John Creed, Maureen Edgar, Marion Kane, William Kirk, Michael Lloyd, Helen Marroit, Grant McCaig, Roger Millar, Linda Robertson, Graham Stewart and Nicola Williams.
Where: Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Castle Wynd, Inverness.
When: The exhibition runs until Saturday, March 1. The venue is currently open Thursday to Saturday from 10am-5pm.
Admission: Free.
Contact: 01463 237114.