Luke Jerram creates giant chocolate button for Bristol charter celebration

A giant chocolate button weighing 18kg has gone on display as part of a series of sweet artworks celebrating a city's royal charter.

The huge button, which is 3.2ft (one metre) across, has gone on display at the Glenside Hospital Museum in Bristol.

It is part of the Bristol 650 celebrations, marking 650 years since King Edward III gave the city its royal charter.

Artist Luke Jerram is behind the project, which is called Edible Histories.

The granting of the charter effectively made Bristol a county in its own right, and Mr Jerram is creating five objects to honour the anniversary, which will be announced as the summer goes on.

The first was a chocolate ship's wheel, based on one found in Bristol's MShed museum.

Other museums and attractions in the area have also signed up to the project, including the Aerospace Museum in Filton.

A chocolate replica of Concorde, measuring nearly two metres long, is being placed there after being constructed by Zara's Chocolates, based in Southville.

Filton was where all 10 UK-built Concordes were assembled.

The giant button is based on a real one, which is one of the smallest items at the Glenside Hospital Museum.

Consultant Director Stella Man said: "It has got 'Bristol Borough Asylum' stamped on it, so it was very personal and pertinent to our hospital collection and to Bristol."

She said the hospital was built in 1861, as an asylum for the poor of the city, and that historical records show nearly half them did get better there.

"It [the treatment] was eat well, sleep well, exercise - compulsory - and have an occupation, a purpose," she said.

Luke Jerram has a long history of creating much talked-about art, including placing a giant water slide on Park Street in the centre of Bristol in 2014.

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