Curators at West Park museum are hoping a 4,000 year old Egyptian relic will get visitors flocking so see it.

The Egyptian Soul House has been in storage at the Prestbury Road museum for more than a hundred years. It is believed this is the first time it has been put on show thanks to a grant enabling its restoration.

The relic is one of seven discovered by explorer Flinders Petry and donated to the Marianne Brocklehurst collection at the museum in 1907.

Unfortunately the clay sculpture, which was built by the Egyptians to sit outside a tomb, was deemed too damaged to be displayed and put into storage.

Now staff are able to display the relic after a Pilgrim Trust Conservation Grant from the Association of Independent Museums funded its repair.

Rose Smith, who works at the museum said soul houses are particularly rare because so many are damaged by the elements.

She said: “It is really good to get the artefact on display.

“It has never been on display before, so it is quite exciting.

“It is something that curator Alan Hayward and I love.

“Soul houses were left outside the tombs, because the Egyptians had a great belief in the afterlife.

“It allowed a place for the departed soul to live. The soul was also offered real food and then clay food so it had something to eat.

“This soul house is a great example as all the different pieces are intact and give a fascinating insight into Egyptian life.” She added: “I don’t know if it was ever on display but it’s great to have it out now.

“It’s a recreation of a typical middle-class Egyptian house and it’s quite rare because it’s got an upstairs.

“One of the pillars has been repaired and they have put in a support to keep the roof up and carried out some general restoration work.”

She added: “I don’t think people know it’s there. We’ve been trying to get people in because it is very special.

“We’ve had a lot of school groups and they are really interested in it.”

The relic offers visitors details into Egyptian housing in 2000BC and staff hope more artefacts will make it out the store room to join the collection.

 West Park Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 1.30pm to 4.30pm.