This is one of the Rene 41 shingles that covered Mercury capsule #14. The capsule was launched on top of Little Joe rockets in two test flights at Wallops Island in early 1961. Rene 41 was an alloy made of nickel, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, titanium, and several other metals. The shingles were designed to protect the capsule from the tremendous heat generated during its reentry in to the Earth's atmosphere. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration transferred the shingle to NASM.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.