In recent years, the social media presence of museums and galleries has taken a turn for the magnificent, as a fresh wave of humor and openness has seen institutions across the globe coming together for challenges such as #SolicitedDuckPics and a weekly #CURATORBATTLE.

This week’s battle of the curators has brought a fresh wave of hell as museums challenged one another to post their #CreepiestObject. The challenge was set by the Yorkshire Museum in the UK, who kicked off proceedings with the disembodied bun of a Roman woman with the jet pins still in place. The hideous swirl of third-century human hair, while an incredible find, has the unfortunate appearance of a cursed croissant. (How many other foods can we ruin for you today?)

-

Soon, horrifying treasures from the condemned collections of museums worldwide were filling Twitter feeds as museums battled to out-grim one another's findings. Here's a selection of some of the grimmest trinkets from history to take your mind off the horrors of present day.

(Trigger warning: the cursed relics of nightmares' past)

-

If mermaid is the combination of the Old English "mere" for sea and "maid" for young woman, this really ought to be called a mer-kill-it-before-it-lays-eggs.

-

Putting the "NO" in Novia Scotia.

-

Rolling into our nightmares like...

-

You couldn't pay me to voluntarily bring this thing to life, let alone ask me to pay a two-pence piece for the pleasure. Hard pass.

-

Think the Victorian era was all about colonialization and the Industrial Revolution? Think again.

-

Oh no.

-

Sit among the disembodied heads of four cursed children and ask the Gods if honor matters.

-

We'd really rather you didn't.

-

Lockdown fashion got me lookin' like...

-

The Covid-19 pandemic is undeniably terrible but at least we haven't reached the Pigeon of Death Mask stage of quarantine.

After that assault on the senses, may we offer you this soothing tonic for your eye balls...

-

[H/T: Mashable]