Hundreds of people have the chance to contribute to a new piece of art that will be exhibited next year at the Bristol City Museum.

Alinah Azadeh is looking for 999 donated gifts to become part of the specially commissioned work that will be exhibited at the museum on Queen's Road from February.

'The Gifts' will be a textile installation by the British-Iranian artist, which will consist of small objects donated by the public, which have personal meaning for the giver.

Ms Azadeh also hopes that they represent "some experience, memory or association the giver is prepared to lay to rest".

Objects donated so far range from love letters, jewellery and wedding shoes to a CND badge, a pipe, a zip drive, sunglasses and a door handle.

The objects will be wrapped and bound by the artist using fabric and yarn and will become part of a major new exhibition, The Shape of Things, that will come to the museum in February.

The project has a special personal resonance for Ms Azadeh, whose mother was killed in an Asian tsunami five years ago.

The first 99 gifts are from Ms Azadeh's life and many of these objects are personal effects left by her mother that she had to deal with as the executor of her estate and could not face throwing away - for example her keys, SIM card, wallet and identity cards.

Ms Azadeh said: "I have found in the wrapping of these objects that the project is turning into a ritual, a final farewell to the remaining vestiges of not only my mother's life but also to certain chapters of my experience which I wanted to acknowledge as meaningful but in the past.

The artist is aiming for 999 gifts because "the number nine is a symbol of completion and perfection in many cultural traditions and this project is all about completing experiences and drawing things to a close".

People who want to donate a gift are asked to give an object that is "past its emotional sell-by date". It can be anonymously donated and they are able to give one or several gifts.

The giver can fill in a postcard describing their object and what the object means to them, with this information also becoming part of the installation. Objects can be brought into the museum or sent with the postcard to The Gifts, PO Box 199, Lewes, BN7 9GQ. Gifts need to arrive by November 30.