New to the National Collections

The display was diverse, from a tiny fragment of the 2013 Chelyabinsk Meteor to the quirky Omnibot 2000 robot butler.

Each case contained a selection of key items to represent one of the museum’s five curatorial departments; Scottish History and Archaeology, Art and Design, Science and Technology, Natural Sciences and World Cultures.

Omnibot 2000

Omnibot 2000 is the perfect household butler and does what he is asked. He’ll greet your guests with a joke, pour drinks and serve snacks. Later he’ll return as a DJ to play the top 40 hits.

Operated by remote control, he has many features including a cassette tape player, microphone hook up and a clock and alarm system. The original owners gave this model a tartan hat and kilt to wear and a sporran to hold his remote control, made by Tomy 1984 - 1988.

Omnibot 2000 sporting a tartan hat.

The Baird television receiver

The oldest surviving colour television in the world uses a colour system invented in 1937 by Scottish engineer John Logie Baird.

Find out more about the GE 950

GE 950 colour wheel television receiver.

Navajo collar tips

In 1893, the Scottish anthropologist Alexander M. Stephen wrote evocatively of the ‘glitter of silver ornaments’ worn by Navajo men and women riding on horseback. Still today Navajo women’s traditional style clothing includes ornamental collar tips and buttons. These 1930s collar tips use twisted and looped wire, the latter in vogue in Navajo and Pueblo jewellery of the time. The turquoise was cut by hand. One turquoise was drilled as a bead shown by the silver infill.

Find out more about Native American jewellery

Navajo collar made in c.1930s. Made from sterling silver, copper and turquoise. Donated by Robert Bauver.