Search results for ""British Museum Press""

Make your own 3D decorations with this brilliant board book of press-out chinese zodiac animals from the British Museum! From tigers to monkeys and horses to dragons, this book features 25 unique, intricately foiled designs that can be slotted together to create 3D ornaments, hung up or threaded together to make an amazing garland. Each page is covered in shiny red foil, with foiled pieces which can be pressed out and coloured in to make a fun collection of personalised animals. Other titles in this fantastic series include: Birds, Easter Eggs, Butterflies, Unicorns, Christmas Decorations, Halloween, Flamingos, Llamas and Other Cool Things, Narwhals and Mermaids, Ancient Egypt, Dinosaurs, and Fantastic Creatures.

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Make your own 3D decorations with this brilliant board book of press-out fantastic creatures from the British Museum! From dragons to griffins and harpies to phoenixes, this book features 25 unique, intricately foiled designs that can be slotted together and to create 3D ornaments, hung up or threaded together to make an amazing garland. Each page is covered in silver foil, with foiled pieces which can be pressed out and coloured in to make a fun collection of personalised creatures. This book was developed in consultation with experts at the British Museum and all creatures illustrated were inspired by objects in the British Museum's collection. Other titles in this fantastic series include: Birds, Easter Eggs, Butterflies, Unicorns, Christmas Decorations, Halloween, Flamingos, Llamas and Other Cool Things, Narwhals and Mermaids, Ancient Egypt and Dinosaurs.

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Archibald Carlyle developed an important collection of stone objects found on prehistoric sites in and around the Central Provinces of India at a time when other 19th-century antiquarians were focusing their interests on wealthier examples of the subcontinent's historical antiquities. This volume catalogues this material for the first time, establishing their archaeological interest by providing background on Carlyle's role in the historical development of research into the Stone Age of India and the significance of his finds in the context of modern archaeology.

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From 1833–8, Charles Masson (1800–1853) was employed by the British East India Company to explore the ancient sites in south-east Afghanistan. During this period, he surveyed over a hundred sites around Kabul, Jalalabad and Wardak, making numerous drawings of the sites, together with maps, compass readings, sections of the stupas and sketches of some of the finds. Small illustrations of a selection of these key sites were published in Ariana Antiqua in 1841. However, this represents only a tiny proportion of his official and private correspondence held in the India Office Collection of the British Library which is studied in detail for the first time in this publication. It is supplemented online by The Charles Masson Archive: British Library and British Museum Documents relating to the Masson Collection (British Museum Research Publication number 216). Together they provide the means for a comprehensive reconstitution of the archaeological record of the sites. In return for funding his exploration of the ancient sites of Afghanistan, the British East India Company received all of Masson’s finds. These were sent to the India Museum in London, and when it closed in 1878 the British Museum was the principal recipient of all the ‘archaeological’ artefacts and a proportion of the coins. This volume therefore studies the British Museum’s collection of these fascinating objects, including reliquaries, beads and coins, and places them within a wider historical and archaeological context.

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The island of Sicily is at the heart of the Mediterranean and from ancient times to the present day it has been a hub of migration and settlement. Following on from the British Museum’s critically acclaimed 2016 exhibition Sicily: culture and conquest, this volume considers the history and material culture of the different peoples occupying Sicily at key points in the island’s history. Part I concentrates on ancient Sicily during the time of Greek settlement, exploring themes such as the creation of urban centres during this period and the production of Sicilian terracotta between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. In Part II, the focus shifts to the Middle Ages, Sicily’s period of enlightenment under Muslim and Norman rules, with key themes including Norman identity and the use of the Norman legacy in the 19th century. With contributions from international experts in the field, the volume presents new insights into the economy, architecture and social identity of the island, including research on recently excavated sites. The result is a rich collection of essays that provides a comprehensive overview of this cosmopolitan island’s unique identity and its significance in a wider Mediterranean context.

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This volume presents for the first time the results of the excavation and scientific analysis between 2005 and 2013 of seventeen Iron Age cauldrons discovered in a large pit on farmland in the parish of Chiseldon, Wiltshire, and consequently acquired by the British Museum. The assemblage is unprecedented in many respects and is the largest known single deposit of prehistoric cauldrons from Europe. The hoard was deposited in the fourth or third centuries BC, although hoarding as a practice is generally underrepresented during this period. The inclusion in the hoard of rare decorated cauldrons also means that it is one of very few deposits from Britain dating to the middle Iron Age known to contain multiple objects decorated with Celtic art and the only example where it is possible to ascertain that decorated objects were all deposited at the same time. Scientific investigation has revealed that the cauldrons were complicated to manufacture and sophisticated techniques such as quenching were used to make them. Examination of food residues adhering to the vessels demonstrates that they were used to prepare and serve both meat and vegetable based dishes probably including stews, gruels and porridges. The discovery of so many contemporary vessels in one deposit has important implications for our understanding of middle Iron Age society in southern Britain. Thought to be vessels made and used for feasting, the capacity represented by the Chiseldon Hoard indicates the potential in these societies to host feasts with many hundreds, if not thousands of participants, demonstrating levels of sophistication and organisation traditionally viewed as being beyond societies with relatively flat social hierarchies.

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The hoard of Roman-British temple treasure discovered at Ashwell in 2002 provides fascinating new insights into the ritual of Roman religion. This is the first full publication of the Ashwell treasure since its high profile discovery in 2002, and features a detailed, highly illustrated discussion of the beautiful gold and silver votive plaques as well as the figurine of the previously unknown goddess Senuna. It will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in Roman religion, especially in Roman Britain, as well as historians and archaeologists.

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The second and final publication of the British Museum's fieldwork at Kom Firin, presenting key findings from the western Nile Delta, a little-explored yet strategically important area of Egypt. Focusing on two principal areas of the excavations, inside the north-eastern corner of the New Kingdom enclosure and an area of Saite occupation, this new research publication offers a detailed discussion of artefact assemblages, faunal remains, the ancient landscape and a chapter on modern Kom Firin.

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Cosmetic sets are small two-piece bronze toilet implements for the preparation of mineral powders, probably colourings for the eyelids and face. Found almost exclusively in Britain, they range in date from the Late Iron Age to the 4th century. An association with fertility is indicated by the crescent shape, by overtly phallic imagery and by the twinning of male and female animal heads. Ralph Jackson's research led to proper recognition of the type, and subsequently the British Museum has built up the largest single collection (160 examples). This catalogue includes not only the British Museum examples but also those in other museums and private collections throughout Britain. It focuses on typology and function but also considers manufacture, including the results of scientific analysis, followed by full discussions of decoration, context, distribution and dating.

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Focusing on the differences and similarities between the renowned 'Alpais' Limoges ciborium, dated to c. 1200, in the Musée du Louvre, and examples in the British Museum, the National Museums of Scotland, together with two electrotype copies of the 'Alpais' ciborium in the Victoria and Albert Museum, this volume uses a cross-disciplinary approach, based on the differing specialisations of the authors (curators, scientists and conservators) to examine the group of ciboria. New and previously unpublished information, analyses and conclusions are presented that will serve to locate all the ciboria in their respective artistic and cultural context.

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This is the first monograph on the British Museum fieldwork at Kom Firin in Egypt's Nile Delta, a settlement created around the time of Ramses II, and occupied until late Antiquity. This volume focuses on the survey and remote sensing of the site, along with a full publication of the Ramesside temple.

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Ur, one of the world’s first cities, was highly important politically and economically around 2600 – 2500 BC when the Sumerian rulers of the city were buried in tombs filled with ornate, valuable objects and with evidence of elaborate rituals and human sacrifice. Without the artefacts from the tombs of Ur it would be very difficult for us today to visualise Sumerian history and know anything about Sumerian art. Of all the objects found in the royal tombs of Ur, the Standard is the most informative yet also the most enigmatic. The Standard was given its name because it lay in a tomb near the shoulder of a man as if it had been carried like a battle standard. However, its real function and purpose within the tomb is still unknown. It was originally hollow, like a box, and is decorated on four sides with mosaic images created with inlays of shell, lapis lazuli and red limestone that were set into bitumen on a wooden frame. The two main, rectangular sides sometimes referred to as ‘war’ and ‘peace’, show scenes of a battle and of a banquet. Both of these themes, commonly depicted in Mesopotamian art, are shown on the Standard using a narrative technique that was to be used in Mesopotamia for almost two thousand years and can still be appreciated today. Viewed as a remarkable work of ancient art the Standard testifies to sophisticated Sumerian craftsmanship and the wide tr ade networks and wealth of the city of Ur. More importantly for us today, it is also a realistic and lively representation of aspects of the life and concerns of people who lived in one of the world’s great ancient civilisations during the third millennium BC. This beautifully illustrated short introduction tells the story of discovery and significance of this splendid object.

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Lindow Man was accidentally discovered by peat-cutters in Cheshire in the 1980s. He was first thought to be a modern murder victim, but scientific investigations soon proved that he had died in the first century AD, around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain. The environment of the peat bog had kept his body in a remarkable state of preservation, and he is still providing a wealth of information to researchers about the diet and health of people at that time. Many theories have been put forward about his death. He was (apparently) struck on the head, strangled, and his throat was cut, before he went into the marsh. Does this literal overkill indicate that he was a sacrificial victim? Experts are still trying to understand exactly how he died. Other bog bodies have been found in Ireland and Scandinavia – what are the possible connections? Jody Joy tells the gripping and gruesome story of the discovery, examination and Lindow Man, and explores the many unanswered questions which remain.

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Coin hoards provide a unique primary evidence for the Roman occupation of Britain. This volume presents details of 57 coin hoards from Roman Britain. Hoards in the volume include a group of 110 plated denarii from Northern Suffolk, a rare hoard of 2nd-century gold from Didcot, and a late 4th-century hoard of nearly 7500 coins from Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire. All of the hoards are listed in detail and the catalogues are complemented by pot drawings and discussions where relevant.

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The Lewis Chessmen were found on the Isle of Lewis in mysterious circumstances. Consisting of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales’ teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, bishops, knights, warders and pawns, this curious chess set is strongly influenced by Norse culture. Of the 93 pieces known to us today, 11 pieces are in Edinburgh at the National Museum of Scotland, and 82 are in the British Museum, where they have delighted gen erations of visitors with their wonderfully expressive details. In this engaging story, Irving Finkel follows the many adventures of the chessmen after they came to light on a Scottish beach in the nineteenth century. It ends with the big surprise that befell them in September 1993, when they were all temporarily reunited for the first time since their separation, at a Sp ecial Exhibition of Chessmen at the British Museum.

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The brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was unprecedented in his own lifetime and has never been exceeded. The universality of his genius is extraordinary: he was a painter, sculptor, musician, architect, engineer, inventor, scientist, anatomist and mathematician. Even today he is rarely out of the news, and fascination with this Renaissance master and his work has never been greater. Leonardo famously left behind only a very small number of completed projects, but his surviving drawings, sketches and notebooks give an extraordinary insight into the workings of his mind and the enormous scope of his interests. Through drawing Leonardo attempted to record and understand the world around him, transmitting knowledge more accurately and concisely with images than would be possible with words. Beginning with an introduction to the life of the artist, this beautifully illustrated gift book presents a chronological selection of priceless drawings by Leonardo along with other beautiful works thought to be by his students and other members of his circle. These demonstrate his astonishing mastery of technique and how he communicated this to the artists who followed him. Leonardo's working methods and his wide range of interests are also explored, leading credence to the notion that the true nature of Leonardo's intentions can only be known through his remarkable drawings.

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Mesmerizing, exhilarating and awe-inspiring, London has provided a rich subject for the many artists, satirists, map-makers and engravers who have tried to make a lasting record of their impressions of the city. Representations of London are fascinatingly diverse, presenting a lively and thought-provoking body of work that lets us see London as it has been experienced by its inhabitants through the ages. London: a view from the streets brings together and interprets vivid images of the changing faces of London, featuring never-before-seen works from the rich collection of the British Museum. A broad range of pieces from artists including Canaletto, Hogarth, Cruikshank,Whistler and George Scharfe are all engagingly explored by Anna Maude, herself an expert on prints and drawings of London.

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Native American jewellery of the Southwestern United States in its classic union of white metal and blue turquoise is an iconic form and the focus of this strikingly illustrated new publication. Internationally recognized and locally significant, Native American jewellery has a compelling history which represents the persistence of tradition while encapsulating the vitality of Native American communities and the continuously transforming nature of their contemporary artistic practice. As a traditional item of adornment it can be understood through the complex histories of making and the development of locally important styles and materials. Situating jewellery in the cultural economy of the American Southwest, this publication explores Southwestern jewellery as a decorative form in constant transition. It describes this rich tradition as subject to a number of desires, fostered and regulated, at different times, by government agencies, individual entrepreneurs, traders, curators and Native American communities. It presents a series of perspectives on Southwest Native American jewellery and explores questions relating to Native American jewellery’s identity as craft, material culture, commodity and adornment. Considering the impact of tourism, it discusses the phenomenon of fakes and the related desire to codify tradition and traditional styles, and how these affect stylistic development and value. In describing the markets, the markers and the work, the book suggests the complexity and reinvention that is innate to Native jewellery as a commercial craft. The book also examines British activities as regards to collecting, bringing to prominence fieldwork and exchanges between British and American institutions. It traces the networks of individuals, makers and institutions that facilitated the emergence of UK collections from the 1890s to the 1990s, including an account of the activities that led to the development of the British Museum’s contemporary collection. The book draws heavily on the author’s archival and fieldwork research (undertaken since 1997) which includes interviews with Native American jewellers, as well as traders, dealers and curators within the field. Illustrated with objects from the British Museum’s collection and drawing from a wide range of historical and contemporary sources, this book explores the symbolic, economic and communal value of Southwestern jewellery today.

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The art of the Pacific Islands is exciting, varied, vibrant and ever-changing. Across the great breadth of the Pacific, artists have always employed a wide variety of materials and techniques to create objects for specific purposes. These have been central to the management of land and ocean, of political and spiritual power, and of connections to gods and ancestors. This book focuses on objects from the domestic to the sacred, from the elegantly simple to the sumptuously ornate, and from the historic to the contemporary. The author draws on striking and colourful examples from the Pacific’s major cultural regions: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, beginning with an introduction asking ‘What is Pacific art?’ Each of the beautiful artworks is then explored further through close-ups, allowing intriguing comparisons between seemingly unrelated objects and media. Ideal as a spur to creative inspiration, this beautiful book offers a striking and unusual view of the wide array of Pacific art, evoking the skills of the most accomplished Pacific artists and craftworkers, past and present.

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Now available in paperback, this is the latest title in a successful series of strikingly designed, collectable books offering a closer look at the rich variety of styles, decoration, motifs and patterns – and the sheer craftsmanship – of world cultures. This beautiful book offers a striking and unusual view of a wide array of Indian art. It highlights – close up and in colour – outstanding examples of design, workmanship and craft in dramatic sculptures of metal, stone and wood as well as sumptuous paintings and textiles. The book opens with an introduction asking ‘What is Indian art?’ This is followed by a series of chapters showing how the functions and purposes of each object reflect its cultural context and determine the choice of image. By illustrating the complete artifact as well as exceptional features through the use of enlarged details – sometimes virtually invisible to the naked eye – intriguing insights and unusual comparisons can be made. The selection of details evokes the hand and eye of the most accomplished Indian craftsmen over thousands of years. Ideal as a souvenir or introduction to any museum or gallery visit, this book will also provide endless creative inspiration.

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The three arts of poetry, calligraphy and painting are regarded in China as the Triple Excellence, and they are brought together here in a beautifully presented anthology of forty Chinese love poems ranging from the earliest known works in the famous Book of Songs to the work of Chairman Mao and other twentiethcentury poets, including poignant examples from the high point of Chinese poetry in the Tang dynasty (618–906). The subject of all the poems and extracts is love, in all its variations: the love of husbands and wives, family and friends, times and places as well as courtship, passion and parting. Selected English translations by respected scholars are each illustrated with a scene from a Chinese painting or print in the collection of the British Museum. Each poem is also illuminated by the artistic brushwork calligraphy of Qu Lei Lei. Jane Portal’s introduction summarizes the history and development of Chinese poetry, and she provides brief biographical notes on the poets as well as suggestions for further reading.

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A reissue of this popular title with a fresh new paperback format, this collection of beautiful Persian love poetry is richly illustrated with images from the British Museum’ s world-famous collection. Love is everywhere in Persian poetry and can be interpreted in various ways: as mystic love, the basis of the relationship between humans and God; as passionate or affectionate love between lovers, husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends; even as patriotic love for Iran. The literary style and indeed the Persian language itself are floral and elaborate, but the themes differ little from our preoccupations with love and romance today. With a brief introduction to the Persian poetic tradition and a short biographical note about each of the major poets, this beautiful anthology is the perfect way to discover the treasures of Persian literature and art.

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Providing a fun way to find out about Ancient Rome, this activity book includes word puzzles, picture puzzles, logic and maths puzzles, and jokes and cartoons.

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Every so often a remarkable discovery hits the headlines – often an account of treasure hunters striking lucky after years of searching the land, or perhaps a chance find made by a farmer after ploughing. With each new hoard comes a story, or a number of possible stories and unanswered questions. Who did it belong to? Why was it buried or lost and not recovered? This fascinating book investigates a broad selection of hoards that have come to light in recent times across the British Isles. Here are caches of prehistoric axes; pits filled with intricately wrought Iron Age torcs; pots of Roman coins; spectacular Anglo-Saxon military equipment; impressive Viking brooches; a jeweller’s stock from seventeenth-century England; a sealed glass jar of gold sovereigns from World War II. The author looks at the variety of objects found and at the practice of hoarding itself. She also considers who the hoarders were and what might have compelled them – economic upheaval, war, or more complex social and ritual customs.

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Money has always been a subject of interest, today more so than ever. For centuries it has performed a key role around the globe – most obviously in trade and the economy, but also in the development of national identities, religions and the spread of empire. Introduced as measurements of weight to serve the most basic of functions, these currencies have changed appearance and meaning throughout the ages and developed into complex monetary units we know today. With a brief but informative biography of each of the currencies, it reveals where and how each originated, the various roles they performed, and how they spread, survived and changed over the years. Some may have fallen into disuse but they might also have been revived in new and unexpected forms, and in different locations. Charting the rise and fall of each, the book will look at how the movements, developments and designs of currencies can highlight broader themes of history – such as the characteristics of empire, trade and migration and the personalities of kings and rulers – and how they can be identified as barometers for the political fortunes of a nation. Packed full of facts and interesting stories, and thoughtfully illustrated with images from the British Museum and beyond, Symbols of Power is an illuminating account of world currencies and the crucial role they play in our world.

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The Mahābodhi temple at Bodhgayā in eastern India has long been recognised as the place where the Buddha sat in meditation and attained enlightenment. The site, soon identified as the ‘Diamond Throne’ or vajrāsana, became a destination for pilgrims and a focus of religious attention for more than two thousand years. This volume presents new research on Bodhgayā and assesses the important archaeological, artistic and literary evidence that bears witness to the Buddha’s enlightenment and to the enduring significance of Bodhgayā in the history of Buddhism. The book brings together a team of international scholars to look at the history and perception of the site across the Buddhist world and its position in the networks of patronage and complex religious landscape of northern India. The volume assesses the site’s decline in the thirteenth century, as well as its subsequent revival as a result of archaeological excavations in the nineteenth century. Using the British Museum’s collections as a base, the authors discuss the rich material culture excavated from the site that highlights Bodhgayā’s importance in the field of Buddhist studies.

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If you want to know about the ancient Olympic games, ask someone who was there! Who better to ask than Tethys, the grandmother of all the Greek gods. The Greek gods gather on Mount Olympus to watch the games taking place on Earth below. Like any typical family, they revive old rivalries, pick out their favourite competitors, and vie for the best view. Called upon to answer their questions and resolve their squabbles, Grandmother Tethys soothes and distracts them with stories about How the Olympic Games Came To Be. Prompted by the sporting events the gods have been watching down below, these tales reveal the mythical rivalries and adventures of both gods and mortals that inspired the very first Olympic competitions. The gripping text is accompanied by illustrations inspired by ancient Greek objects and designs in the British Museum.

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Explores the ideals, symbolism and ideology of Egyptian kingship and uncovers the stories behind the objects and images left as a legacy by this ancient civilisation. The rulers of ancient Egypt were not always male, nor always Egyptian. At times, Egypt was divided by civil war, conquered by foreign powers or ruled by competing kings. While some kings were revered such as Thutmose III who expanded Egypt's empire to its largest extent the memory of others was officially erased. Many of the objects surviving from ancient Egypt project the image the pharaoh wanted us to see however this book explores the reality and the many challenges of ruling one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever seen. After an introduction into the historic and geographic timeframe of the ancient Pharaohs, the book explores royal iconography, decoding the insignia worn and held by the king, or the names and titles covering most royal monuments. The core of the book investigates the main roles of

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From the darkly erotic poetry of Sappho to the bawdy advice of Ovid, love is a ubiquitous theme in Classical poetry. This newly revised edition collects the best short poems and extracts from the Classical tradition, by authors including Virgil, Homer, Catullus, Horace, Sappho and Ovid, and illustrates them with the finest Classical and classically inspired pieces from the British Museum’s extensive collection. With an engaging and informative introduction on love in Classical poetry and a short biographical note on each of the poets covered, Classical Love Poetry is a delightful exploration of the treasures of Classical literature and art that will be equally appreciated by aficionados and those coming to the poems for the first time.

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For almost three centuries, until 612 BC, the small kingdom of Assyria dominated the Middle East, its empire at one point extending from Iran to Egypt. The story of those years - the triumphs of the Assyrian kings in war and peace, their exploits in the hunting field, and the gods who watched over them - were recorded in stone on the walls of a succession of royal palaces. These sculptures, offering eye-witness views of a long-lost civilisation, were rediscovered in the 19th century. The finest collection, transported with great difficulty to Europe, is now preserved at the British Museum. This book describes how the sculptures were found and what they meant to those who created them. It is both a richly illustrated history of Assyrian sculptures in general and a guide to the outstanding collections of the British Museum.

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The discovery in 2001 of an exquisite Early Bronze Age gold cup at Ringlemere Farm in Kent prompted an extensive survey and excavation of the site from 2002–2006. Excavation revealed a site with a long history of use, the most striking evidence being for intensive activity in the third millennium BC associated with a henge monument, the interior of which was later buried beneath an Early Bronze Age mound.This volume presents a detailed report on a rich array of structural and artefactual evidence spanning a few thousand years of prehistory, and the site’s subsequent slide into agricultural anonymity. Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age structures include a horseshoe setting, post alignments, hearths, pit clusters and varied small post settings. Evaluation of form and associated material culture steers interpretation away from the purely domestic and contributes to the keen ongoing debate about the place of ceremony in the world of third millennium Britain.

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A concise and beautifully designed book exploring the symbolism behind an exquisite Ancient Babylonian plaque found in southern Iraq. This spectacular terracotta plaque was the principal acquisition for the British Museum's 250th anniversary, and in 2004 was exhibited in various museums around the UK. Made between 1800 and 1859 BC, it is made from baked straw-tempered clay and modelled in high relief. It probably stood in a shrine and could represent the demoness Lilitu, known in the Bible as Lilith, or a Mesopotamian goddess. The figure wears the horned headdress characteristic of a Mesopotamian deity, and holds a rod and ring of justice, symbols of her divinity. Her long multi-coloured wings hang downwards, indicating that she is a goddess of the Underworld. The book explores the history and symbolism behind this beautiful and highly unusual relief.

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The British Museum has one of the world’s finest collections of antiquities from medieval Europe, and this is the first fully illustrated guide to the highlights of the collection, now in paperback. In one beautiful volume are displayed 150 of the most important objects, including the most famous such as the Lewis chessmen, the Borradaile triptych, the St Eustace head reliquary, the Royal Gold Cup, the Royal Gittern and medieval court art from the palaces of Westminster and Clarendon as well as a selection of lesser-known but equally impressive pieces. These remarkable treasures are placed in their historical context through an exploration of themes such as devotional art and pilgrimage, royal patronage and the arts of love, leisure and feasting, to provide a visually stunning insight into the artistic production of this critical period in Western history.

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A handy and colourful illustrated guide to reading, writing and understanding ancient Egyptian names, epithets, titles and phrases. The Egyptians believed that the creator god Ptah brought the world into being by naming everything in it. Names had great power, and kings often over-wrote their own names on monuments of earlier rulers. A person’s name was a vitally important part of them, and the Egyptians were very concerned that their names should be recorded, remembered and spoken. Criminals and those who had fallen out of favour could be punished – wiped out of history – by having their names destroyed or defaced. The hieroglyphic script provided a beautiful, flexible and expressive meaning to write the names of humans, gods and animals. Angela McDonald explains the meanings of Egyptian personal names and how they were made up (Rameses = “Ra has given birth to him”), and demonstrates how they were written in different ways to convey various shades of meaning. Royal and divine names are always given special treatment. The Egyptians were not always formal, and nicknames were common. Even the names of pet animals are recorded in tomb paintings.

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At centre stage in this volume is the Royal Clock Salt, an exceptional national treasure from the courtly culture of the Renaissance. Most probably made in Paris around 1530 by Pierre Mangot, the royal goldsmith to Francis I, the Clock Salt is somewhere between a jewel and a table ornament. Now part of the collection of the Goldsmiths’ Company in London, it is one of only a handful of treasures surviving from the renowned Jewel House of Henry VIII. It is unknown whether it was a diplomatic gift from Francis I or whether Henry VIII bought the Clock Salt himself; regardless, the object raises interesting questions about the role of diplomatic gifts at the Tudor court which is a subject addressed by a number of the authors.Many questions still remain about the Clock Salt’s history following its sale in the aftermath of the English Civil War, but this publication presents the fullest account to date of what is known about the object. Importantly, the authors also place it within a wider European Renaissance context by comparing it with other similar objects known to have been made or designed by Mangot and his contemporaries such as Hans Holbein. A secondary strand in the volume places the Clock Salt in the context of nineteenth- and twentieth-century taste in England and, in particular, reflects recent trends in scholarship by considering the influence of European collectors such as the Rothschilds on the British taste for historic silver. The volume therefore sheds new light on an exquisite object that has beguiled and fascinated owners and viewers for centuries. It also marks the completion of a collaborative research project between the British Museum, the Goldsmiths’ Company and The Rothschild Foundation.

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By presenting rigorous situated histories of changing training regimen in different cultures, this collection of papers collectively challenge orthodox notions of the perfect body and its pursuit. The introductory essay by the editor compares and contrasts the different methods and ideals. Ancient regimen and techniques may seem remote, yet many attempt to resolve issues that are common to us all. Some are directed at the immortality or longevity of the physical body, and include performance-enhancing nutrition and drug taking; others train the spirit and souls for the afterlife. Many emphasise the interconnectedness of the human body with its environment. The papers set their topic in its broad socio-political and cultural context, facilitating a dialogue with other contributors who considered many similar questions for the 20th and 21st centuries. Histories of sports, body cultivation and sports medicines in non-European cultures are only just now beginning to emerge. With the Olympics approaching in London, it is timely to explore the diverse traditions of perfecting body and soul, as a fascinating historical project in itself, but also to provide a rich context for envisioning a more widely beneficial approach to sports, medicine and immortality for all.

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A transcription of a day-long seminar held at the British Museum in 1995 to discuss aspects of display at the museum. Invited guests examined specific displays and were joined by many of the staff and other curators. A stimulating discussion ensued which makes fascinating reading for all involved with heritage management.

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The current conception of the absolute chronology of the Italian Copper Age to the end of the Early Iron Age is set out in this new title from the British Museum. Some 850 objects have been arranged chronologically from the Copper Age, through the Bronze Age, to the Early Iron Age. Within these headings, the objects are organised typologically e.g. axes, swords etc. A major result of this study has been the reassembly of several groups of bronzes probably originally from hoards. Each entry includes a description, bibliogrpahy and comparanda and line drawing or photgraph.

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