Museums & Galleries

Fresh gifts with a twist

A trio of product developments includes an updated version of a classic gift collectable, a vast range extension, and a fine art gaming challenge

Retro yet desirable and collectable, paperweights are an unusual stationery item these days, but Museums & Galleries (M&G) has increased its collection. The company says: ‘They make handsome gifts. The clear crystal domes enhance the beauty of the artwork stunningly, really making it shine, whether it be gemstones from the Natural History Museum, Matthew Williamson’s glittering starbursts or peacock feathers, glorious Asian textiles or intricate William Morris designs from the V&A, or Hokusai’s great wave from the British Museum’. There are now 16 weights to choose from.

Meanwhile, M&G’s organic cotton tote bags and large pouch collection has almost doubled in size, offering a very enhanced choice. Refreshing the range are colourful, summery totes from designers Sarah Campbell, Catherine Rowe, and Wild Press by Helen Ahpornsiri. Sarah Campbell’s Côte d’Azur design is especially sunny and holiday-ready. Wild Press’s delicate and intricate pressed flower collage representing a meadow rabbit translates gorgeously to cotton textile, and Catherine Rowe’s stunning Bee Pattern is bold and striking.

Finally, a new range of 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles were front and centre on M&G’s Spring Fair stand, and the warmly positive reaction from visitors delighted the company. Pre-orders since the start of the year have been brisk, and now stock is flying out of M&G’s Corby warehouse. Particularly admired were the vibrant print quality, the retail-friendly size, and the shape of the boxes and their design as sturdy reusable components with printed liners.

Envisioned as entertaining puzzles and works of art in one, M&G boasts a few puzzle enthusiasts in its design team who selected and road tested the chosen designs. A star Arts & Crafts design from the V&A - Charles Voysey’s Birds of Many Climes - made an excellent puzzle choice, as did Vincent Van Gogh’s Farms Near Auvers from the Tate, and Hokusai’s Great Wave from the British Museum. One of designer Matthew Williamson’s stunning mural wallpapers - a vibrant jungle scene painted in homage to Henri Rousseau - makes a fantastic challenge and is one of the range’s early best sellers.

The jigsaw puzzle was invented in 1766 by John Spilsbury, a British cartographer and engraver, as an educational toy. Fittingly, one of M&G’s launch puzzles is a 17th century Four Hemisphere World map from the British Library collections.

Accompanying the gift products, and in many cases co-ordinating with them, M&G’s gift packaging collection now encompasses dozens of colourful wraps, in sheet and roll formats, single sided, double sided, and foiled. Alongside these are gift bags (each design comes in two sizes) and gift tissue, offering a truly splendid way of wrapping the perfect gift.

Call: 01373 461455 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk Visit: www.museumsgalleries.