Learn how to read Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 E10 @britishmuseum

The British Museum You asked for more Ilona. You asked for more ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. And you technically asked for as many tangents relating to ancient Egyptian life as possible (see our community post if you don't believe us). So here it is: curator of ancient writing Ilona Regulski is going to teach you how to read your first sentence in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Definitely not hieroglyphics!

CONTENT WARNING:
There is a deeply palpable love of verbs throughout.
Also, Nick is there.

If you'd like to find out more about how hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 1800s, we currently have an exhibition on all about exactly that:

Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is on now!
Find out more here: bit.ly/3TeIrMh

#CuratorsCorner #AncientEgypt #RosettaStone

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro to lintel of Amenemhat III
1:05 What is the difference between hieroglyphs and hieroglyphics?
2:31 What does the Cartouche mean?
3:36 Amenemhat in hieroglyphs
4:59 Table showing Amenemhat
5:14 Difference between hieroglyphs on stone and papyrus
5:50 What direction are hieroglyphs written in?
8:32 How ancient Egyptians learnt hieroglyphs
12:02 King of Upper and Lower Egypt in hieroglyphs
13:22 Table for King of Upper and Lower Egypt
13:57 Lord of the Two Lands in hieroglyphs
14:39 Table for The Lord of the Two Lands
14:56 to do in Egyptian hieroglyphs
15:32 Horus is in Shedet
16:35 Table for Horus is in Shedet
16:50 Sobek the Shedet one
19:00 Table for Sobek the Shedet one
17:32 Determinative in Egyptian hieroglyphs
19:30 A brief indication of just how much Ilona loves verbs
19:50 Gives life and stability in Egyptian hieroglyphs
20:20 Table for Gives Life and Stability
21:35 Were hieroglyphs painted?
22:17 Abstract ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
23:10 Nick tries to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
25:25 Ilona actually reads ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs

#hieroglyphs #curatorscorner #ancientegypt

updated 1 year ago

Learn how to read Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 E10

The British Museum 2022-12-01 | You asked for more Ilona. You asked for more ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. And you technically asked for as many tangents relating to ancient Egyptian life as possible (see our community post if you don't believe us). So here it is: curator of ancient writing Ilona Regulski is going to teach you how to read your first sentence in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Definitely not hieroglyphics!

CONTENT WARNING:
There is a deeply palpable love of verbs throughout.
Also, Nick is there.

If you'd like to find out more about how hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 1800s, we currently have an exhibition on all about exactly that:

Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is on now!
Find out more here: bit.ly/3TeIrMh

#CuratorsCorner #AncientEgypt #RosettaStone

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro to lintel of Amenemhat III
1:05 What is the difference between hieroglyphs and hieroglyphics?
2:31 What does the Cartouche mean?
3:36 Amenemhat in hieroglyphs
4:59 Table showing Amenemhat
5:14 Difference between hieroglyphs on stone and papyrus
5:50 What direction are hieroglyphs written in?
8:32 How ancient Egyptians learnt hieroglyphs
12:02 King of Upper and Lower Egypt in hieroglyphs
13:22 Table for King of Upper and Lower Egypt
13:57 Lord of the Two Lands in hieroglyphs
14:39 Table for The Lord of the Two Lands
14:56 to do in Egyptian hieroglyphs
15:32 Horus is in Shedet
16:35 Table for Horus is in Shedet
16:50 Sobek the Shedet one
19:00 Table for Sobek the Shedet one
17:32 Determinative in Egyptian hieroglyphs
19:30 A brief indication of just how much Ilona loves verbs
19:50 Gives life and stability in Egyptian hieroglyphs
20:20 Table for Gives Life and Stability
21:35 Were hieroglyphs painted?
22:17 Abstract ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
23:10 Nick tries to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
25:25 Ilona actually reads ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs

#hieroglyphs #curatorscorner #ancientegypt

Dave Bull Carves Hokusais Picture Book of Everything | Curators Corner SE8 Ep6

The British Museum 2023-06-08 | If you make woodblock prints for a living, you know the name Hokusai, and if you’re a woodblock carver and you hear about original drawings from Hokusai that have never been carved into prints you would most likely do a little happy dance.

Which is exactly what David Bull did when he found out about the collection of original Hokusai drawings known as the ‘Picture Book of Everything’, recently acquired by the British Museum.

Well, we don’t know if he did a little dance, perhaps just in his head maybe? Anyway… he was very excited. So excited in fact that he immediately contacted curators at the Museum to see if they would be interested in a collaborative project to turn some of these original Edo era designs into woodblock prints.

We visited David’s workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo to find out how one would approach such an endeavor.

00:15 Welcome to Tokyo
00:36 Dave reads his morning paper
01:08 The idea takes shape
01:39 What does the process involve?
02:44 Different designs in the collection
03:55 Working from original drawings
06:42 Different carvers different cuts
07:16 The tools of the trade

You can explore any and all of the British Museum's Hokusai prints on the Museum website here: britishmuseum.org/collection

If you'd like to buy Tim Clark's book on the drawings, you can get it here: bit.ly/3CiiKBj

You can find out more about Dave's woodblock shop, Mokuhankan here: mokuhankan.com

This film was made possible with the support of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

Beyond the Mutiny on the Bounty, the founding of Pitcairn Island | Entangled histories

The British Museum 2023-05-25 | Since the 1790s, a version of the story of ‘The Mutiny on the Bounty’ has remained in the public conscience. A story of 9 British mutineers aboard the HMS ‘Bounty’, sailing off to an uninhabited island to avoid being court-martialled back in England.
In the 1700s it took the newspapers by storm. Since the 1830s, it has been the subject of countless books. In the 1900s, it was the subject of five feature films. However, this told (and retold) story isn’t even the half of it.

So here to right that is Dr Pauline Reynolds, historian and barkcloth maker. Pauline has been looking beyond the mutineers, to the 13 Polynesian women who set sail aboard the HMS ‘Bounty’. Through her research of tapa (barkcloth), Pauline will share with you the untold story of her tupuna vahine (ancestors), the women of Hitiaurevareva, Pitcairn Island.

Tell us what you thought of this video: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NFCZ3JG

Intro 00:04
The women who travelled on HMS Bounty 00:45
The true story of Mutiny on the Bounty 1:10
Why HMS Bounty went to Tahiti 2:47
Dr Pauline Reynolds' research into tapa barkcloth 5:20
Tapa of Mauatua, British Museum 6:21
How tapa barkcloth is made 8:27
Names of each side of a tapa barkcloth beater 11:43
Tiputa poncho from Hitiaurevareva (Pitcairn Island) 12:27
How a tiputa poncho is worn 12:51
Tracing the maker of a tapa piece 14:07
The legacy of the women of Hitiaurevareva (Pitcairn Island) 15:32
'Mauatua e' by Dr Pauline Reynolds 16:24

Featured works:

‘A View of Matavai Bay in the Island of Otaheite’, 1776
By William Hodges (1744–1797)
Oil painting
Yale Center for British Art

‘The Mutineers turning Lt Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty’s Ship the Bounty’, 1790
By Robert Dodd (1748–1815)
Print
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

‘House of John Adams, Pitcairn Island’, about 1825
By Frederick Williams Beechey (1796–1856)
Drawing; pencil and watercolour
National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an2890321

Film excerpt from:
'Hina’s Granddaughters'
Sue Pearson – creative director, artwork, photography, sound, aute
Dr Pauline Reynolds - lyrics, music composition
Mike Bridgman - editing and animation
Ruby Clark - representation/embodiment of poem characters
Mauatua Fa’ara-Reynolds – vocalist and embodiment of Hina
This audio-visual artwork is part of a travelling exhibition by Pearson and Reynolds called Hina Sings ...

Jamaican healers & plant warriors | In conversation with Charmaine Watkiss | Entangled histories

The British Museum 2023-05-18 | Warrior women, indigenous knowledge and the legacies of colonialism - Charmaine Watkiss and Alicia Hughes discuss The warrior’s way: safeguarding the natural history of Jamaica, Charmaine’s new piece responding to the work of naturalist, physician and slave owner Sir Hans Sloane, whose collections provided the foundation of The British Museum.

Tell us what you thought of this video: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NFCZ3JG

19th century Han Womens Outfit | Chinese Fashion | Curators Corner S8 Ep5

The British Museum 2023-05-11 | Jessica Harrison-Hall unpicks all the details of a 140-year-old Han woman’s outfit to give voice to the hidden women in 19th Century Chinese society, and uncover looming modernization in the East Coast Treaty ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Guangzhou.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains high levels of embroidery nerdery with strong references to couch stitching

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:33 Outfit overview
01:08 Who would have worn this?
01:52 Outfit details
03:52 Combining homemade and bought embroidery
04:43 How embroidery is applied
06:04 Pattern books & foreign fashion
07:36 Back of the garment
08:36 Women in 19th-C China
10:28 Thank you for listening

China’s Hidden Century
Lead supporter Citi
Additional supporter The Huo Family Foundation

#curatorscorner #china #fashion

How the Greco-Persian Wars changed the way Athenians drank their wine | Curators Corner S8 Ep4

The British Museum 2023-05-04 | The Greco-Persian wars are some of the most famous battles in history. The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. The Greek phalanx at Marathon. The naval victory at Salamis. The end result? Athenian domination of the eastern Mediterranean, and the end of Persian aspirations to control Greece. But the failed invasion attempt by Persia wasn't entirely unsuccessful. While they didn't politically conquer Greece, culturally they were far more successful.

Join curator Jamie Fraser as he walks you through the Persian way of drinking wine with an Achaemenid rhyton, and how this _very_ eastern way of drinking made it's way into the Athenian symposium (albeit in a different physical form).

Luxury and power: Persia to Greece
4 May 2023 - 13 Aug 2023
BOOK TICKETS: bit.ly/3p5EgYU
Supported by
American Friends of the British Museum
BullionVault

CONTENT WARNING:
Contains one _most_ verile, manly, strapping, young servant.

#curatorscorner #greece #persia

Excavating Cuneiform Tablets in Iraq with the Girsu Project | Curators Corner S8 Ep3

The British Museum 2023-04-20 | The British Museum is currently excavating at the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, in Southern Iraq. However, most of the Girsu Project's time has been spent, not so much excavating the ancient city itself, but excavating through the spoil heaps (piles of dirt) left behind by French archaeologist over 80 years ago. Within these great mounds of dirt are countless objects, including cuneiform tablets, that were abandoned, and that are currently at risk of being lost forever due to erosion of those spoil heaps.

The Girsu Project is a joint initiative to save endangered heritage sites led by the British Museum, the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) of Iraq, and the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Photo of Girsu landscape used in thumbnail: Kevin Percival Photography

Find out more about the Girsu Project and the recent discovery of The Lord Palace of the Kings of the ancient Sumerian city Girsu here: britishmuseum.org/membership/events/excavations-girsu

00:49 Introduction to the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, Tello Iraq
01:09 French excavations at Girsu, Tello Iraq
01:50 British Museum excavations at Girsu, Tello Iraq
02:41 Excavating at Tablet Hill
5:29 Registering cuneiform tablet
07:10 Conservation of a cuneiform tablet
10:40 Before and after cleaning cuneiform tablet
11:02 Photographing cuneiform tablets
12:19 Translating cuneiform tablets
14:50 Sumerian dating system (year names)
16:40 Iraq Museum, Baghdad

#curatorscorner #cuneiform #mesopotamia

How to date an Artefact | Tudor Pendant of Henry VIII & Katherine of Aragon | Curators Corner S8 E2

The British Museum 2023-03-30 | How does one go about dating an artefact that was found in a field in England by a metal detectorist? And by dating we’re not talking dinner and a movie with your favourite curb chain…

As part of the Treasure process in the UK, artefacts found by metal detectorists that happen to be of a high percentage precious metal, need to go through a process of identification and classification. Join curator, Rachel King as she investigates the clues found on this spectacular gold pendant to shed some light on when it was made, by whom and for whom.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:00 A Quick Aside – Terminus dates
02:45 Investigating the clues on the front
03:48 The clues on the back
04:39 Dating the materials
05:00 The Gold Standard
06:06 Enamel decoration
07:47 The Tudor Curb chain
09:55 Johann Froben
11:46 Jousting at Greenwich
13:20 Who could afford such an artefact?

Find out everything you need to know about Treasure and The Portable Antiquities Scheme here: britishmuseum.org/our-work/national/treasure-and-portable-antiquities-scheme

Curious Clocks and Watches through time with Oliver Cooke | Curators Corner S8 E1

The British Museum 2023-03-16 | Everyone's favourite Horologist Oliver Cooke delves through the cupboards of the British Museum's Horological Study Room to bring you six curious and novelty clocks and watches from across time. See below for a list of links to find out more about each one in the video.

CONTENT WARNING:
This video features a staggeringly low number of accurate timepieces. We can't express it enough, most of these would not reliably tell you the time or wake you up. They're pretty interesting though.

CHAPTERS:
00:33 Inclined Plane Clock (1680-1690)
04:00 Flying Pendulum Clock (1875-1885)
06:00 Time-projecting Night Clock by Eveready (1913)
08:03 Bradley Snyder Visually-impaired Watch by Eone (2014)
10:31 Nuremberg Horizontal table clock (1535-1545)
11:21 Nuremberg Horizontal table clock alarm attachment (1535-1545)
12:30 Pair Cased Watch (1770s)
12:50 Alarm Device for Pocket Watch (1835-1845)
15:09 Clocks and Watches at the British Museum

Inclined Plane Clock: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1006-2146
Flying Pendulum Clock: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1006-2074
Time-projecting Night Clock by Eveready: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1971-0503-1
Bradley Snyder Visually-impaired Watch by Eone: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_2014-8037-1
Nuremberg Horizontal table clock and alarm attachment: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1006-2151
Alarm Device for Pocket Watch: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1201-2200

#CuratorsCorner #clock #horology

New Season of Curators Corner and other Channel Updates | #CuratorsCorner

The British Museum 2023-03-09 | We've been a little quiet on the channel recently, so thought we should give you a quick update on what we've been up to, and when the new season of Curator's Corner starts. BTW it's next week

CONTENT WARNING:
This video contains the promise of future Finkel, and some viewers may experience uncommon levels of excitement. Viewer discretion advised.
This video contains Rudolph levels of red nose. It was absolutely Baltic in London today. Next time we'll shoot indoors.

00:12 What have we been up to all this time?
00:46 New season of Curator's Corner
00:50 Curator's Corner Season 8 Episode run down
01:40 Will Irving Finkel be back?

How to make a Hawaiian Drum | Lapaiki

The British Museum 2023-02-23 | When Dennis Kanaʻe Keawe started learning pahu (Hawaiian drum) making in the mid-1960s, he was guided by his teachers Ollie Roberts, Clayton McKinzie and Herman Gomes, and inspired by the works of his ancestors. Over the years, Kanaʻe Keawe has meticulously researched and studied pahu collections in Hawaiʻi and overseas with this ultimate goal: re-carving to-scale contemporary drums that feel, look and sound like ancestral pahu, now often too fragile to be played.

Recently, Kanaʻe Keawe shifted his focus towards recreating several Hawaiian drums under the care of the British Museum, aiming to bring back the voices of these ancestors. After supporting his work remotely during the pandemic, we were finally able to host him in London to connect with the collections, including one lapaiki (small drum), possibly collected during Captain Cook's third and fatal voyage to the Pacific in 1778-79.

Here, Kanaʻe Keawe shares with us a moment that had been decades in the making, reuniting his newly carved drum with this lapaiki, the oldest documented Hawaiian drum at the Museum. As he brings them side by side, explaining his process and noticing slight differences, he reminds us of the importance of "having a voice".

Dennis Kanaʻe Keawe is a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner specializing in pahu making, and based in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. He was hosted in London through the Benioff Oceania Programme at the British Museum, a programme that aims to transform the research, stewardship and curation of collections from Hawaiʻi and Rapa Nui.

Our thanks go to Kanaʻe Keawe for allowing us to witness this moment, and to kumu hula (dance teacher) Laʻakea Perry for giving voice to Kanaʻe's drums, and for providing the chant for this video.

Everything you wanted to ask about ancient Egypt (provided you’re a 9-year-old) | History Hotline

The British Museum 2023-02-02 | Deep within the heart of the British Museum is a strange artefact, the History Hotline - a telephone that gives inquisitive children direct access to British Museum curators, so they can have all their burning questions about history answered by the experts. This week the History Hotline appeared on curator and Egyptologist Kelly Accetta Crowe's desk, which means some of you must be studying ancient Egypt!

This video was made to work with the KS2 UK school syllabus as a resource for teaching children between 6 and 12-years-of-age about ancient Egypt.

If you want to find out even more about ancient Egypt our exhibition Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is on until February 19 2023
Find out more here: shorturl.at/bmFPT
Children under 16 get free entry when accompanied by an adult.

00:49 Introducing ancient Egypt
1:51 What would you find inside a pyramid?
3:38 What happened to ordinary people when they died?
4:57 Who started mummification and what herbs did they use to mummify bodies?
6:48 How do you read hieroglyphs?
9:20 What was written on the canopic jars?
11:06 What were the bandages made of?
12:12 Why did Anubis have a jackal head?

The Automaton that is also a Drinking Game | with Rachel King | Curators Corner S7 Ep9

The British Museum 2022-11-17 | Possibly the most elaborate drinking game we've ever heard of, this automaton was made in Nuremburg between 1617 and 1620 by Wolf Christoff Ritter. This is an excellent example of the types of drinking games and drinking paraphernalia that could be found on the tables of german aristocracy and the well-to-do of the 16th century.

Join Rachel King, curator of the Waddesdon Bequest to find out how it was made, how it was used, and how to drink cherrie brandy from a stag shaped bottle.
britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_WB-134

0:00 Introduction
0:53 Object details and manufacture techniques
3:29 Introduction to drinking culture in Germany
5:30 Novelty drinking vesels
6:03 Provenence - where was this type of vesel normally found?
7:33 How do you drink from a novelty drinking vesel?
11:04 Outtro

Sohni and Mahiwal, Maharajah Ranjit Singh and other Punjabi stories | Curators Corner S7 Ep8

The British Museum 2022-11-03 | Usually we use objects in the British Museum to tell you about people from the past. But in this episode of Curator's Corner, Imran Javed is going autobiographical. By pairing objects from the British Museum with his own personal items, Imran has built a display that speaks not just to historic India and Pakistan, but also to his own, present day identity as a British-Punjabi.

Imran's display, 'A Confluence of Stories', is open until November 14. You can read more about the display here: britishmuseum.org/blog/confluence-stories

0:20 The Story of Sohni and Mahiwal and the Chenab River
2:57 Who was Baba Nau Ghaz Naugaja Peer ਨੌਂਗਜਾ ਪੀਰ
4:51 Shah Jahan and his sons visit Hazrat Mian Mir
6:00 Who was Maharajah Ranjit Singh? The Sher-e-Punjab, 'the Lion of the Pubjab'
9:40 The Partition of India
12:37 Tu kithey challaya? A poem by Imran Javid

#CuratorsCorner #Punjabi

Renaissance Metalworking and Lifecasting with Rachel King | Curators Corner S7 Ep7

The British Museum 2022-10-20 | During the 1500s, artists and makers were pushing themselves to create works that were as realistic to nature as possible. However, some of them may have pushed a bit too hard, particularly if you were to ask a lizard.

Join curator Rachel King, as she investigates techniques used to make this extraordinary bell.

#CuratorsCorner #renaissance #metalwork

Manufactured around 1550 in Nuremberg by German master craftsman, Wenzel Jamnitzer the bell is an excellent example of lifecasting.

Rachel investigates a manuscript written some time between 1579 and 1620 in which an enthusiastic maker and craftsman collated hand written recipes and instructions on how to make things.

The anonymous scribe filled 170 folios (or 340 single pages) with closely written text and some hand-drawn figures containing recipes, instructions, fragmentary notes, firsthand accounts of trials with many materials and techniques.

The resulting manuscript held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), catalogued as Ms. Fr. 640, brings a better understanding of how and why nature was investigated, used in art, and collected and appreciated in early modern Europe.

You can find out more about the manuscript and the research on it's content here: bit.ly/3EUsvu7

1:31 The Celini Bella
3:06 Lifecasting techniques
3:35 How do you cast foliage?
6:18 How do you cast a grasshopper?
7:47 How do you catch and cast a lizard?

The Rosetta Stone and what it actually says with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 Ep6

The British Museum 2022-10-13 | The Rosetta Stone is one of the most famous objects in the British Museum. But what is it? What does it actually say? And did you know that since the discovery of the the Rosetta Stone in 1799, another 27 copies have been found throughout Egypt, the most recent being discovered in 2011?

If you answered no, don't worry! Dr Ilona Regulski, Curator of Ancient Writing at the British Museum has this and so much more to tell you about the object that unlocked ancient Egypt.

If you answered yes, well done for having completed the set reading ahead of time. However, there's still loads more to learn about this amazing object, so stick around for a while.

If you'd like to find out more about how hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 1800s, we currently have an exhibition on all about it:

Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is on now!
Find out more here: bit.ly/3TeIrMh

#CuratorsCorner #AncientEgypt #RosettaStone

00:39 Where was the Rosetta Stone found?
01:46 What languages are on the Rosetta Stone?
02:20 What does the Rosetta Stone actually say?
05:14 How many copies of the Rosetta Stone are there?
07:30 What was on the missing parts of the Rosetta Stone?
09:15 Which language was written first on the Rosetta Stone?
12:31 What the hieroglyphs say on the Rosetta Stone

Conserving ancient glass vessels destroyed in the 2020 Beirut Explosion | Shattered Glass of Beirut

The British Museum 2022-10-05 | On the evening of 4 August 2020, a massive stockpile of ammonium nitrate exploded at the port of Beirut. The explosion was the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history. The blast killed at least 218 people, injured 7,000 and displaced 300,000 as well as causing $15bn of damage. The immediate and lasting effects have been deeply traumatic, not just for Beirut's citizens but for all Lebanese people.

Just over 3km from the epicentre of the explosion, at the Archaeological Museum at the American University of Beirut, a case displaying 74 glass vessels was blown from the wall, and thrown to the floor. The case, the surrounding windows and 72 of the 74 ancient glass vessels were shattered. Shards of the ancient glass were almost inextricably mixed with each other, as well as with glass from the case and windows.

This is the story of those 8 vessels. This is the story of the damage they suffered, the scars they will forever bear as witnesses to the explosion and as an expression of defiance in the face of destruction. This is a story of healing reflecting the recovery of the citizens of Beirut as they rebuild their lives and their city.

GENUINE CONTENT WARNING: This film starts with footage of the explosion, real-time footage of the damage it caused, and the aftermath of the damage done to Beirut.

To find out more about the vessels: britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/shattered-glass-beirut

In collaboration with the Archaeological Museum at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
The British Museum is grateful to the following for their support of the project:

TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, part of The European Fine Art Foundation
HENI
The Radcliffe Trust
The Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust
The Leche Trust
The Thriplow Charitable Trust
Friends of the Middle East Department
The Wakefield Trust
Middle East Airlines

The Museum also wishes to thank the Embassy of Lebanon to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Institut national du patrimoine, France (Inp), and the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH) for their assistance in making this project possible.

A cloak made of feathers | caring for a traditional Maori taonga

The British Museum 2022-09-29 | A unique example of a Māori cloak or kahu kākāpō (‘cloak of kākāpō feathers’) has been preserved for future generations to enjoy after vital conservation work was conducted in a partnership between Culture Perth and Kinross, the British Museum and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Venus: Goddess of Love? Goddess of War? with Mary Beard

The British Museum 2022-09-22 | Hands up, this is far shorter than our normal videos. However, when you get 3 minutes with British Museum Trustee and world-renowned classist Professor Mary Beard, you take that 3 minutes.

And so, with neck-break speed, Mary is going to tell you a little about why Venus, often referred to as the Roman goddess of love, was so important to the Roman military and idea of warfare. Because if Venus is good enough for Caesar, she's good enough for the legions.

Our #FemininePowerExhibition highlights the many faces of feminine power – ferocious, beautiful or creative. The show is open until 25 September – book your tickets today: http://ow.ly/kK7050Kg61w

Welcoming a new Murti (icon) of the goddess Kālī to the British Museum

The British Museum 2022-09-06 | This particular murti of the goddess Kali was made especially for the exhibition Feminine Power: the divine to the demonic. However, commissioning a new murti, and then transporting it to London from Kolkata in India, isn't as straight forward as you might think. Kali is a deity used to being worshipped, not necessarily being transported in a box or fumigated for pest management. So in order to appease the goddess, and calm her annoyance at being transported in that box, devotees from the London Durgotsav Committee welcomed the new goddess Kali murti to the Museum, and performed a ceremony to calm her.

Kali is one of the most prominent and widely worshipped goddesses in India, particularly in West Bengal. Traditionally these icons are made of clay from the banks of the river Ganges but, to ensure her longevity, this murti is constructed with fibreglass painted in black oil-based colour and her hair is from jute fibre. During construction the artist placed some clay inside her so she will always have a part of the sacred Ganges within.

Our #FemininePowerExhibition highlights the many faces of feminine power – ferocious, beautiful or creative. The show is open until 25 September – book your tickets today: http://ow.ly/kK7050Kg61w

A medieval casket that breaks the fourth wall | Gothic Ivories 2 | Curators Corner S7 Ep5

The British Museum 2022-06-30 | Last week curator Naomi Speakman introduced you to a Gothic, ivory casket packed to the hinges with different medieval myths and legends. It was, if you will, a “greatest hits” casket. Today, Naomi will show another of these medieval caskets. If the previous one was a greatest hits, this one’s a concept album. A single myth told across the entire body of the casket. And for all you Deadpool fans, there’s a healthy dose of fourth wall breaking.

CONTENT WARNING:
Deadpool does not feature in this video (medieval, fan-produced variant or otherwise). However, there is a splash of comic book towards the end.

A Greatest Hits of medieval myths on a casket | Gothic Ivories 1 | Curators Corner S7 Ep4

The British Museum 2022-06-23 | Last time you visited the corner of curator Naomi Speakman, she walked you through the meaning and myths held in medieval bestiaries. The time before that she walked you through the meaning and myths held in medieval jewels and jewellery. In this episode, Naomi’s turns the tables, and walks you through the elaborate, Gothic ivory caskets that frequently held those same medieval manuscripts and items of jewellery. And much like those items, these caskets are also packed to the brim with medieval myths and stories. Many of the characters in these myths may be unfamiliar to you, but at least a couple will have familiar names and faces. However, the situations they find themselves in? not so much.

CONTENT WARNING:
Aristotle, will at some point, be saddled and ridden like a horse.

Bronze Age Myth of the Sun Cycle from Scandinavia | Curators Corner S7 Ep4 #CuratorsCorner

The British Museum 2022-06-15 | Scattered across 100s of Scandinavian razors is a Bronze Age myth of the Sun. Through a weird series of creatures (including sea serpents and sun horses) this myth tells the journey of the sun as it passes through the sky over the course of a day. Join curator Jennifer Wexler, as she introduces you to the myth, and the ingenious detective work undertaken by archaeologist Flemming Kaul to piece together this long lost myth of the sun cycle.

If this has whetted your appetite for all things Bronze Age, you can get tickets to The world of Stonehenge exhibition here: bit.ly/3sqLdSU

And if you can't make it to the show, but still want more, the exhibition catalogue is available here: bit.ly/3L3yfRL

Who were the people of Stonehenge? Curators Tour of The World of Stonehenge

The British Museum 2022-05-12 | The image of Stonehenge is so iconic that if you were to close your eyes right now, you'd likely have a pretty accurate image of the monument in your mind. However, if you were asked to imagine the people who built and lived with the monument, you'd probably struggle a little more.

So to help with that, curators Jennifer Wexler and Neil Wilkin have decided to take you on a tour of their British Museum exhibition The world of Stonehenge, to introduce to some of incredible people that built and lived around the time of the monument. You'll see some of the best gold work humans have ever created, some of the best stone work humans have ever created, as well as a pretty decent 1.7 kilometre wooden footpath created to cross an inconvenient marsh (trust us, the Sweet Track is awesome). And overall you should come away with a better understanding of who the people of Stonehenge really were, what they thought about the world, and why they built big stone circles.

If this has whetted your appetite for all things Bronze Age, you can get tickets to The world of Stonehenge exhibition here: bit.ly/3sqLdSU

And if you can't make it to the show, but still want more, the exhibition catalogue is available here: bit.ly/3L3yfRL

00:00 Introduction to Stonehenge
01:12 Introduction of Farming in Britain
05:07 The Sweet Track
06:50 Seahenge
09:56 The Amesbury Archer
13:33 The Nebra Sky Disk
17:03 Trade and Piracy in Bronze Age Britain
19:35 The Shropshire Bulla
22:12 Britain's Distant Past

#Stonehenge #BritishHistory #BronzeAgeEurope

British Bank Notes are Copyrighted, and its an Artists Fault | Curators Corner S7 Ep3

The British Museum 2022-04-21 | What would happen if you made drawings of money and started using them to pay for everyday things? This is exactly what one artist attempted to do in the mid-1980s. An American named J.S.G. Boggs alighted upon the idea that he could literally draw his own banknotes and use them for everyday purchases. His alleged nefarious activities soon drew the attention of the press and the authorities, including the Bank of England, resulting in a private prosecution at the Old Bailey in London.

But how did his art end up at the British Museum? And what could the bank do to ensure that other artists couldn't reproduce banknotes in the future?

#BoggsInTheBritishMuseum #FlushWithCash #BoggsStandard

Images of 'Boggs in London' are courtesy of Craig Whitford.

CONTENT WARNING: We had to put a specimen mark over the modern bank note to avoid trademark infringement. We blame Boggs.

Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage | Episode 5

The British Museum 2022-04-07 | In this Episode, we hear from conservator Barbara Wills how she went about making the repairs that were needed to restore the Sherborne cartonnage to it's former glory.

It's also a big moment for Verena and the whole team when they finally flip both the base and the lid and see what's happening on the flipside.

The conservation and the making of this film was generously sponsored by the John S Cohen Foundation.

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #Restoration

Stonehenges Richest Man | The Bush Barrow Chieftain | Curators Corner S7 Ep2

The British Museum 2022-02-10 | Today we're doing something a little different. We're taking Curator's Corner on the road! Wiltshire Museum in Devizes has very kindly lent us the objects excavated from Bush Barrow for our upcoming 'The world of Stonehenge' exhibition. But before they were taken off display, we grabbed some time with director David Dawson, to find out what makes the Bush Barrow Chieftain such an important figure for our understanding of British prehistory and the world of Stonehenge.

‘The world of Stonehenge’ opens 17 February 2022. Get tickets here: bit.ly/3rEKOMQ

Organised with the State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany

#Prehistory #CuratorsCorner #TheWorldOfStonehenge

Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage | Episode 4

The British Museum 2022-02-03 | It's been a while and we know you've missed this lovely object on it's journey to becoming a better version of itself... Join conservator Verena Kotonski for this next instalment of the epic conservation project that is the Sherborne Cartonnage.

In this episode we'll introduce two new characters to our roster of world class conservation experts. Barbara Wills and Helene Delaunay join the project to help shape, glue, stretch, glue, paste and glue every inch of 'Sherby'. You'll also get to witness curator John Taylor see the object after a nine month hiatus, and he is as amazed by the progress as you will be!

The conservation and the making of this film was generously sponsored by the John S Cohen Foundation.

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #Restoration

CT scanning ancient Egyptian mummies | #CuratorsCorner S7 Ep1

The British Museum 2022-01-27 | Over the past 10 years, scientific investigation of ancient Egyptian mummies has advanced immensely. We now know more about ancient Egyptian health, diet, lifestyle and death than ever before. But this new approach to the study of Egyptian mummies is also teaching us a lot about the history of disease, revealing that many 'modern' diseases have been with us for far longer that we originally thought.

Join British Museum curators Daniel Antoine and Marie Vandenbeusch as they introduce you to a 4-year-old boy from the Roman period in Egypt and share what he, and other mummies, can tell us about life from 2000-years-ago, right up until today.

CONTENT WARNING: this video contains CT images of deceased people. All footage and images were captured in line with the British Museum Human Remains Policy, which you can access here: britishmuseum.org/our-work/departments/human-remains

Migrating ancient Inca data to an opensource database | Khipu to Excel | #CuratorsCorner S6 Ep10

The British Museum 2021-12-20 | Have you ever tried putting a series of very specific knots into an Excel spreadsheet? Conservator Nicole Rode hadn't, up until she was asked to do some conservation work on a khipu in the British Museum Collection. This is the story of Nicole's unusual conservation project, and how it became her favourite object in the British Museum. This episode is a follow on from the last episode of Curator's Corner, which you can watch here: youtu.be/HrfKOQKyffE

The khipu is an ingenious alternative device to a counting system, first introduced by the Wari and developed by the Inca. It was made up of a series of coloured, twisted and knotted cords that stored information, like the number of people in a community or the amount of food harvested. Honestly, the verdict is still out on exactly how these were used, but we do know from Spanish chronicles that they were also used to record histories, poems and even songs.

To find out more about khipus and many of Peru's greatest cultures check out our latest exhibition:

‘Peru: a journey in time’ is on display until 20 February 2022.
Tickets are selling fast – book yours now: http://ow.ly/XpUG30rZ9Qf
Supported by PROMPERÚ
Organised with the Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru

#PeruExhibition #AFrayedKnotThatSimpleAConservationJob

A history of Peru | Curators Tour of Peru: a journey in time

The British Museum 2021-12-09 | ‘Peru: a journey in time’ is on display until 20 February 2022.
Tickets are selling fast – book yours now: bit.ly/3lOu7eH
Supported by PROMPERÚ
Organised with the Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru

Footage of interviews and landscapes courtesy of Estudio Casabonne

#PeruExhibition

Inca Khipu: The record and writing system made entirely of knots | #CuratorsCorner Ep9 S6

The British Museum 2021-12-02 | Everybody loves a spreadsheet, right? Well the Inca had their own version of a spreadsheet, and it is likely a major factor in why the Inca empire could expand so rapidly and so successfully. And also, it was done by tying knots in series of strings.

The khipu is an ingenious alternative device to a counting system, first introduced by the Wari and developed by the Inca. It was made up of a series of coloured, twisted and knotted cords that stored information, like the number of people in a community or the amount of food harvested. Honestly, the verdict is still out on exactly how these were used, but we do know from Spanish chronicles that they were also used to record histories, poems and even songs.

To find out more about khipus and many of Peru's greatest cultures check out our latest exhibition:

‘Peru: a journey in time’ is on display until 20 February 2022.
Tickets are selling fast – book yours now: http://ow.ly/XpUG30rZ9Qf
Supported by PROMPERÚ
Organised with the Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru

#PeruExhibition

How to mount a Chimú-Inca feather headdress | Conserving Peruvian textiles

The British Museum 2021-11-11 | Some objects can stand by themselves others need a bit of support. How would you go about displaying a feather headdress from the Chimú-Inca culture, dated c.1470 – 1530 BC.

The brief was to display this ancient and fragile headdress as worn… but not worn.
We catch up with conservator Nicole Rode for a introduction to conservation mounts as she prepares a custom mount for the headdress to go on display.

To see the headress and the mount that it sits on book tickets to our new exhibition Peru: A Journey in time here bit.ly/2YCJDBP

#PeruExhibition #Conservation #Peru

Hokusai’s The Great Wave (and the differences between all 111 of them) | Woodblock Printing

The British Museum 2021-11-04 | Did you know there are 113 identified copies of Hokusai's The Great Wave. I know the title says 111, but scientist Capucine Korenberg found another 2 after completing her research. What research was that? Finding every print of The Great Wave around the world and then sequencing them, to find out when they were created during the life cycle of the woodblocks they were printed from.

This involved painstakingly documenting visible signs of wear to the keyblock that made the Great Wave, and tracking these visible changes as the keyblock continued to be used (fun fact; scholars estimate there were likely as many as 8000 prints of The Great Wave originally in circulation).

If all this sounds a little confusing, don't worry. Sit back, relax and learn how a scientist's growing passion for Hokusai changed the way we look at his most famous work.

Content Warning:
You'll never look at this print the same way again.

Double Content Warning:
This video will make you question if you brush your teeth for long enough every day .

Credits:

All Great Waves are either British Museum, Public Domain images or used with the kind permission of the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa.

Adachi Woodcut Prints kindly let us use their GIF images to show the different coloured woodblock impressions.

The Paul Sacher Foundation have kindly given us permission to use the image of Claude Debussy from their Igor Stravinsky Collection.

#Hokusai #Woodblock #WheresWallyArtistsWorstNightmare

Ancient and Modern China and South Asia in 10 Objects | British Museum Tour of the Hotung Gallery

The British Museum 2021-10-28 | Because you've asked for it, we've decided to take our Curators' Tour series into one of the permanent galleries of the British Museum. But it's not just any gallery. The Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia is a whopping 115 metres long and covers 1.5 million
years of history. In fact this gallery is so large (the longest in the British Museum), it takes 5 curators just to tackle the geography and time periods the gallery covers.

So join curators Ruiliang Liu, Yu-Ping Luk, Wenyuan Xin, Sushma Jansari and Imma Ramos for a highlights tour of the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia.

You can find out more about the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia here: bit.ly/3vJuHho

00:20 Intro to Hotung Gallery
00:42 Bronze Ding, 13th-11th Century BC
03:54 Wall Painting of 3 Bodhisattvas, 15th Century
08:20 Model of a Horse, 8th Century BC
12:19 Seated Figure of Zhenwu, 15th Century
15:23 Ceramic Sculpture (Peacock) by Caroline Cheng, 2012
19:07 Indus Valley Seal Stones, 2600-1900 BC
21:37 Herakles and Vajrapani, 2nd Century BC and 2nd/3rd Century AD
24:36 Amaravati Drum, 1st Century BC - 3rd Century AD
27:35 Mughal Huqqa Bases, 18th Century AD
30:00 Shadow Puppet Representing Mohandas Gandhi

#BritishMuseumTour #AFewOfOurFavouriteDings #CuratorsTour

How Roman was Roman-Britain? | Britannia 55BC to AD69

The British Museum 2021-10-21 | Back at school, you may have learned that the Romans conquered Britain in AD43, and that from that point, Britian became 'Roman'. However, history is never that straight forward. Join curators Julia Farley and Richard Hobbs as they take you through the material culture of Britannia from the 55BC to the end of Nero's reign in 69AD.

Book your tickets to this blockbuster exhibition and find out more about the show here: http://ow.ly/FcG030rUaKV.

Inspired by the art and architecture of ancient Rome, our shop range features homeware, books, jewellery and more. Shop the show here: http://ow.ly/Hd3i30rUaKx

Curators Tour of Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything | #CuratorTour

The British Museum 2021-10-14 | Thanks to the, quite frankly, overwhelming number of requests to see more of the Hokusai drawings from 'The Great Picture Book of Everything', we've put together a tour of more of Hokusai's drawings!

Prepare yourself for mythical birds, mythical landscapes, the mythical origins of alcohol and some very real masterpieces from the hand of the great Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

If you'd like to buy Tim Clark's book on the drawings, you can get it here: bit.ly/3CiiKBj

And if you can make it to London, grab a ticket for the exhibition here: bit.ly/3lxs0L3

You can explore any and all of the British Museum's Hokusai prints on the Museum website here: britishmuseum.org/collection

Content Warning:

Does not contain anatomically questionable elephants, or Hokusai's favourite duck.

Double Content Warning:

Does contain anatomically questionable tigers, and just a glorious amount of Hokusai!

#CuratorsTour #Hokusai #BritishMuseumTour

The Great Picture Book of Everything; Hokusais Unpublished Illustrations | #CuratorsCorner S6 Ep8

The British Museum 2021-09-16 | Do you know how a bear catches its lunch? What the mythical Chinese equivalent of waiting at the bus stop looks like? Can you identify Hokusai's favourite duck? Never fear, curator Alfred Haft is going to give you the answers you so desire, plus a whole load of other things you didn't know you wanted to know about the unpublished encyclopaedia, 'The Great Picture Book of Everything', illustrated by the great Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

If you'd like to buy Tim Clark's book on the drawings, you can get it here: bit.ly/3CiiKBj

And if you can make it to London, grab a ticket for the exhibition here: bit.ly/3lxs0L3

Content Warning:
May contain anatomically questionable elephant, definitely contains Hokusai's favourite duck.

Double Content Warning:
That duck stares straight into your soul

#CuratorsCorner #HokusaisFavouriteDuck #GiantMythicalEggsAreJustEdoPeriodBusStops

Mary Beards favourite objects from Nero: the man behind the myth | #BritishMuseumTours

The British Museum 2021-08-26 | Join the nation's favourite historian, Mary Beard on a tour of the latest British Museum exhibition, 'Nero: the man behind the myth'. Mary shares some of her favourite objects and the stories behind them.

Book tickets to come and see for yourself here: bit.ly/2Xf39U9

#NeroExhibition #BritishMuseumTours #Rome

How to Read a Broken Roman Statue | The Head of Nero | #CuratorsCorner S6 Ep7

The British Museum 2021-08-12 | It’s A.D. 61, Emperor Nero rules over the Roman Empire. In the east of the province of Britannia, the head of a bronze statue ends up in a muddy river. Who put it there and why? How do we solve the mystery of this Roman head in the river?

Curator Thorsten Opper tells us what clues to look out for when faced with a Roman portrait and explains how to envision the whole object from studying only a part. Put yourself in the shoes of a citizen of Roman Britannia, and explore how they might have viewed such a statue of the emperor, Nero.

This bronze head of emperor Nero is currently on display in the exhibition Nero: The man behind the myth at the British Museum, and you can book tickets to see it in the flesh here: bit.ly/2Xf39U9

The Blood Drinking Cult of Thomas Becket | #CuratorsCorner S6 Ep6

The British Museum 2021-08-05 | You probably don't associate blood drinking cults with Christianity. Stick around and listen to curator Lloyd de Beer walk you through the ever changing, very bloody, Medieval cult of Thomas Becket (aka Saint Thomas of Canterbury) and you soon will!

Find out more about Thomas Becket, and our exhibition here: bit.ly/3CmUizs

CONTENT WARNING: probably goes without saying, but there's going to be a lot of references to blood, self-filling jars of blood and ways of acquiring blood (both legal and slightly less so).

Images of the Miracle Window © The Chapter, Canterbury Cathedral

The Seven Works of Mercy (detail), 1504. Oil on panel. © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, SK-A-2815.

Becket Leaves © The Trustees of the Wormsley Fund

Digital Reconstruction © The Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture (CSCC), University of York.

#BecketfulOfBlood #BecketExhibition #CuratorsCorner

Curators tour of Nero: the man behind the myth | #BritishMuseumTours

The British Museum 2021-06-24 | Exhibition curators, Thorsten Opper and Francesca Bologna, takes us on an in-depth tour of the latest exhibition at the British Museum - Nero: The man behind the myth.

The show challenges the traditional view of the emperor as a ruthless and eccentric tyrant, and follows the young ruler as he navigated a divided society and momentous events in the history of Rome.

With thanks to the lenders:
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff
Bloomberg LP
London Colchester Archaeological Trust
Colchester Museums
Egypt Exploration Society
London Musée du Louvre
Paris Musei Capitolini
Rome Museo Archeologico e d’Arte della Maremma
Grosseto Museo Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei nel Castello di Baia
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia
Museo Civico Archeologico, Comune di Cremona
Museo Nazionale Romano
Rome Museum of London Archaeology
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen
Parco Archeologico del Colosseo
Rome Parco Archeologico di Pompei
Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
Römisch-Germanisches Museum der Stadt Köln
Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Cremona
Lodi e Mantova Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek
Munich Stiftsbibliothek St.Gallen
Vatican Museums
Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archive

#NeroExhibition #MuseumTour #BritishMuseumLive

Julias Iron Age Firedog Thats Actually a Two-Headed Cow | #CuratorsCornered Best Bovine Object

The British Museum 2021-06-03 | When we presented Julia Farley with the task of choosing the 'Best Bovine Object', she went straight for an Iron Age Firedog... which despite its name has nothing to do with dogs and everything to do with cows. Get ready for a trip into what Come Dine With Me Iron Age style might have looked like in Julia's bid for Best Bovine Object.

Curators Cornered is a series born of necessity: a necessity to find the best object of every conceivable category from the British Museum Collection... also we were all stuck working from home...

Don't forget to like this video if you'd like to see more from Julia and the European Iron Age and Pre-Roman Conquest Collections.

#CuratorsCornered #ComeDineWithMeIronAgeStyle #IronAgeBritain

Jamies Luwian Hieroglyph That Makes You Say Moo | #CuratorsCornered Best Bovine Object

The British Museum 2021-06-03 | When we presented Jamie Fraser with the task of choosing the 'Best Bovine Object', he went a little left field. Not only did he choose something not instantly recognisable as something relating to cows, bulls or oxen, but he also chose an object covered in ancient hieroglyphics that AREN'T from Egypt. Regardless of any of this, it's still one of the beefiest objects we've ever come across. Watch to find out why

Curators Cornered is a series born of necessity: a necessity to find the best object of every conceivable category from the British Museum Collection... also we were all stuck working from home...

Don't forget to like this video if you'd like to see more from Jamie and the Ancient Levant and Anatolian Collections.

#CuratorsCornered #Heiroglyphics #Moo

Gareths Posh Mesopotamian Beer Drinking | #CuratorsCornered Ostentatiously Decorated Mundane Object

The British Museum 2021-05-20 | When we presented Gareth Brereton with the task of choosing the best ostentatiously decorated, otherwise mundane object, he went straight to ancient beer, but posh ancient beer. Chemical analysis dates beer brewing to 6000 years ago in Ancient Mesopotamia - and while they didn't have fancy craft beers back then, they still knew how to make the amber nectar just that touch pretentious.

To find out more about this Gold and Lapis Straw from the Royal Cemetery of Ur: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1928-1010-95

Curators Cornered is a series born of necessity: a necessity to find the best object of every conceivable category from the British Museum Collection... also we were all stuck working from home...

Don't forget to like this video if you'd like to see more from Gareth and the Ancient Mesopotamian Collections.

#CuratorsCornered #DontChewTheBeer #AncientMesopotamia

Sues Really Tiny Early Medieval Buckle | #CuratorsCornered Ostentatiously Decorated Mundane Object

The British Museum 2021-05-20 | When we presented Sue Brunning with the task of choosing the best ostentatiously decorated, otherwise mundane object, she went straight for the big one. And by big one we mean a 3cm buckle, likely from a early medieval satchel. But while it's not that big, the blacksmith who made this clearly didn't see that as an obstacle to layering it with an, quick frankly, astounding level of detail.

To find out more about this buckle from King's Field in Faversham: bit.ly/3os39cD

Curators Cornered is a series born of necessity: a necessity to find the best object of every conceivable category from the British Museum Collection... also we were all stuck working from home...

Don't forget to like this video if you'd like to see more from Sue and the Early Medieval European Collections.

#CuratorsCornered #WhoDoesntLove3DSnakes #MedievalEngland

#CuratorsCornered: We Need Your Help With Our New Series

The British Museum 2021-05-18 | A new British Museum YouTube series that hinges on audience participation and the YouTube algorithm giving equally weighted exposure to two videos released within 30 minutes of each other. What could possible go wrong?

#CuratorsCornered #CuratorsCorner #NotTaskMaster

Its all about that base | Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage Ep 3

The British Museum 2021-04-29 | This week conservator, Verena Kotonski shows us the ins and outs of the base of the cartonnage. From buidling bridges, making sandwiches and using rigid gells to remove unwanted historic repairs, you'll become even more of an expert in the how tos and wherefores of conserving an ancient mummy coffin.

Watch along and impress your friends with your in-depth knowledge of cartonnage conservation next time you see them.

To be honest we have no idea how many episodes this series will have, each month the cartonnage has posed new 'challenges'. But it's also revealed more about life and death in Ancient Egypt. So we hope you will follow along as an already long project gets made even longer by unexpected global hand break turns.

The conservation and the making of this film was generously sponsored by the John S Cohen Foundation.

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #NewButOld

To fix a cartonnage, you need to know whats wrong with the cartonnage | Sherborne Cartonnage Ep 2

The British Museum 2021-04-22 | This week, conservator Verena Kotonski takes a really long look at the Sherborne Cartonnage to assess what state it's in, how it got to be in that condition and what methods she may be able to use to stabilize it without causing any damage to it. Effectively, Verena's job this week is to try to solve a 3D puzzle with no instruction manual. However, never fear! While Verena doesn't have an instruction manual, she does have a hoover. Keep your eyes peeled, things are about to get microscopically detailed.

To be honest we have no idea how many episodes this series will have, each month the cartonnage has posed new 'challenges'. But it's also revealed more about life and death in Ancient Egypt. So we hope you will follow along as an already long project gets made even longer by unexpected global hand break turns.

The conservation and the making of this film was generously sponsored by the John S Cohen Foundation.

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #NewButOld

Acquiring a new (2000-year-old) Ancient Egyptian coffin: Conservation of Sherborne Cartonnage Ep1

The British Museum 2021-04-15 | The Sherborne cartonnage is a new acquisition by the British Museum, acquired in 2018. However, it's not really "new" but an Ancient Egyptian cartonnage that's around 2000 years old. The cartonnage has had a long life, and isn't exactly in the state it was in when it was excavated back in the 1800s.

Luckily, the British Museum is full of world class conservators and curators who are developing new methods of restoring this amazing object in a meaningful, unobtrusive way so that it can be appreciated by our many visitors from all over the world.

In this first episode we hear from curator John Taylor, finding out how the coffin was excavated and first arrived in the UK. We also meet conservator Verena Kotonski who is taking on the mammoth task of conserving the cartonnage. You'll meet more characters along the way, but we don't want to give everything away in the first episode!

To be honest we have no idea how many episodes this series will have, each month the cartonnage has posed new 'challenges'. But it's also revealed more about life and death in Ancient Egypt. So we hope you will follow along as an already long project gets made even longer by unexpected global hand break turns.

The conservation and the making of this film was generously sponsored by the John S Cohen Foundation.
Images of Frederick Wingfield Digby and Sherborne Castle Copyright Sherborne Castle Estates.

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #NewButOld