Forty brushes produced by German brand Bürstenhaus Redecker are celebrated in this exhibition curated by British designer Michael Marriott.

An expresso maker brush, a cobweb broom, a hedgehog brush and a sink cleaning set are among the highlights of the Bürstenhaus Redecker Müseum.

Billed as "a travelling exhibition of brushes from the manufacturer of the same name", the collection made its debut during London Design Festival in a display at furniture store SCP.

Each of the brushes also features in the accompanying movie, which shows how each design is intended to be used.

SCP invited Marriott to put together the exhibition after being approached by Bürstenhaus Redecker to find an inventive way to showcase the company's 83-year history.

The brand has been producing brushes from a facility in Versmold since 1935, with a focus on quality materials, craftsmanship and sustainability.

Having selected 40 brushes to display, Marriott decided to imagine the collection as a series of historic artefacts. He combined facts about each with stories from the time – using plenty of creative license – to write a short narrative to accompany each one.

For instance, the Bath Brush is explained to have appeared in the spy thriller Knight Without Armour, while the Afro Comb is said to have been used by reggae musician Bob Marley.

"The idea was to create something that made it more than just a display of beautiful, beautifully made German brushes," Marriott told Dezeen.

"Some brushes just suggested a scenario," he explained.

"Alongside this, I assembled a list of interesting stories or personalities that related to German culture – the more unlikely the better, eg Felix Wankel was forbidden to drive as his eyesight was so bad – and then found ways to knit the two things together."

The exhibition is coloured pink and comes with the strapline "brushes is not fashion".

The accompanying video, edited by Duncan Riches, is produced with the same playful approach as the exhibition.

Set to an over-dramatic track by Señor Coconut, it shows all 40 brushes in action. Some scenes are in slow motion, which adds to the tension.

"We thought we should have a film showing, as museums do," said Marriott.

"We were sent some stock footage from Redecker, illustrating some of the brushes in use, which informative but a little dull. "I suggested we have a new soundtrack, then Duncan cut and edited the footage beautifully to fit the music."

The Bürstenhaus Redecker Museum was on show at SCP's showroom on Curtain Road, east London, from 15 to 30 September, as part of London Design Festival.

Other highlights from the city-wide event included a display of Japanese metalwork masters and a showcase of Czech toys past and present.