The Rosetta Stone and what it actually says with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 Ep7 @britishmuseum

The British Museum 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

updated 2 years ago

The Rosetta Stone and what it actually says with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 Ep7

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

The earliest images of Indigenous Americans and a slave penny | Hew Locke: what have we here?

The British Museum 2024-10-17 | For the last two years Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke has been working with over twenty specialist curators, behind the scenes of the British Museum for the exhibition 'Hew Locke: what have we here?'.
Taking objects from the exhibition, Hew explores their difficult, messy histories and colonial pasts with Co-curator Isabel Seligman and Keeper of Coins and Medals Tom Hockenhull.

Co-curator Isabel Seligman explains how these watercolours of Algonquians, in what is present day North Carolina, show England’s first glimpse of the New World. So, why is there such a resemblance to Greek or Roman statues?
And Keeper of Coins and Medals Tom Hockenhull asks why a plantation owner in the Caribbean Island of Barbados in 1788 minted his own coins with the face of an African man, wearing a coronet and three ostrich feathers, the heraldic symbol of the Prince of Wales?

00:00 - 00:49 Introduction
00:50 - 02:11 Who is Hew Locke?
02:11 - 06:02 John White Illustrations with Isabel Seligman
06:03 - 06:54 Asking questions of the collection
06:55 - 07:58 Amerindian feather headdress.
08:17 - 11:37 Barbados slave penny with Tom Hockenhull
11:38 - 12:52 Hew Locke and Nicholas Cullinan

Image credits
1. Photo of Hew Locke “Armada” at Royal Academy taken by Jon Stephens (00:55)
2. Photo of Hew Locke “The Procession” at Tate Britain, taken by Stephanie Jong (00:57)
3. Photos of The Watchers (x4), provided by the British Museum (01:14)
4. Photo of Hew Locke as a child, provided by Indra Khanna (01:33)
5. Guyana Independence Ceremonies, provided by eFootage.com (01:39)
6. The Spanish letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant'Angel : dated 15 February, 1493, reprinted in reduced facsimile, and trans. from the unique copy of the original edition (printed by Johann Rosenbach at Barcelona early in April 1493) - Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons (03:17)
7. A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia - Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library (03:23)
8. Bulletin (1948) (19806272323).jpg - Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons (07:07)
9. Bulletin (1948) (20239102610).jpg - Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons (07:09)

Smuggling Domesticated Silkworms along the Silk Roads | Curators Corner S9 Ep8 | The Silk Princess

The British Museum 2024-09-26 | At some point around AD 600-700, a legend started spreading about a princess who snuck mulberry tree seeds and silkworm eggs into the Buddhist kingdom of Khotan (present-day northwest China).

Sericulture, the ancient Chinese technique of silk farming, had been kept a secret for thousands of years. Integral to this technique were silkworms that had been bred to evolve into moths without wings, and needed a strict diet of white mulberry tree leaves (morus alba).

Khotan desperately wanted access to this incredibly lucrative business, and so a political marriage (with a little act of matrimonial smuggling) was arranged with a princess from a nearby 'eastern kingdom'. The princess hid mulberry tree seeds and silkworm eggs in her headdress, crossed the border, married the king, introduced sericulture to her new kingdom, guaranteed that her wardrobe was continually updated with fresh silk robes and eventually became a venerated figure of near-saintly status - not bad for a single day's smuggling?

Join curator Yu-ping Luk for a legendary journey along the Silk Roads.

Silk Roads EXHIBITION TICKETS: https://shorturl.at/i4tga

Supported by
The Huo Family Foundation

Additional supporters
James Bartos
The Ruddock Foundation for the Arts
Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation

CONTENT WARNING:
You may end up feeling like you didn't quite achieve enough on your own wedding day. You aren't a legendary princess in the 7th c. You are enough.
No silkworms were harmed in the making of this video. The same can't be said for your silk dressing gown (unless it came from Khotan!).

0:39 Silk Princess Painting British Museum
1:00 The Legend of the Silk Princess
2:38 What is Sericulture?
4:28 History of Silk production in China
5:25 How did Sericulture Silk Farming get to Khotan?
7:40 The Spread of Buddhism on the Silk Roads
8:38 Dadan-Uiliq

#curatorscorner #silkroad #silk

This Roman Sculpture is NOT on display at the British Museum (currently) | Curators Corner S9 Ep7

The British Museum 2024-09-12 | In 1865, a selection of objects in the British Museum was registered in ‘The Secretum’ – a catalogue of objects deemed unsuitable for display because they were seen as being ‘morally dangerous material’. As this was Victorian England, it probably doesn’t shock you that most of the objects were sexual in nature. The Roman sculpture of a nymph and satyr was one of these objects.

Join former catalogue manager (now a curator in the Department of Greece and Rome) Vicky Donnellan on a journey through the exhibition and cataloguing history of this Roman sculpture, since its rediscovery 250 years ago. This is a deep dive into the different ways an object has been catalogued over time, showing that the process of cataloguing objects is not straightforward, objective or unchanging. Catalogue records are a combination of our current understanding of the past and, more potently, the values and perceptions of those in charge of cataloguing at any one time.

GENUINE CONTENT WARNING: This video focuses on a classical depiction of attempted sexual assault, which is shown early in the video and throughout, and features other ancient sexually-themed objects.

Updated Roman Nymph and Satyr object record: britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1805-0703-2

00:20 Roman Nymph and Satyr Sculpture Townley British Museum
1:14 What is a Nymph?
2:00 Nymph head restoration
2:55 Breaking down a Museum Number
3:21 Archives of the British Museum Reading Room
3:57 Townley’s original description of the Nymph and Satyr
4:06 When and where was the Nymph and Satyr found?
4:27 Was the head missing when the Nymph and Satyr was discovered?
4:48 Who restored the head of the Nymph?
5:40 Classical sculpture collecting in 1700s
6:20 Where did Townley keep his sculptures?
7:50 Townley’s descriptions of the Nymph and Satyr
08:38 When did the Townley Collection enter the British Museum?
09:25 When was the Nymph and Satyr taken off display?
10:31 The British Museum Secretum
11:50 Readdressing the sculptures content
12:20 How does the British Museum register objects?

Image attributions:

Bust of Charles Townley @3:20 - Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Melpomene (Hall of the Muses) @8:30 - Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nymph and Satyr on Exhibition @12:00 - Romerin, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nymph and Satyr on Exhibition @12:07 - Joanbanjo, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Archaeologists keep re-excavating this 4000-year-old brick | Curators Corner S9 Ep6

The British Museum 2024-08-29 | This is the story of a very unassuming Sumerian brick. Sure, it bears the names of mighty gods, powerful kings and contains 'the most powerful statement written anywhere in the world', but it's also quite a common brick to come across (if you're digging at Tello, Iraq). In fact, just how easy it is to find one of these bricks is exactly what makes this specific one so unique. Because this one specific example of the 'Gudea foundation brick' has been excavated and then re-excavated by archaeologists on 3 separate occasions: the third time was in 2016, the second in the 1880s, and it was originally excavated around 323 BC (that's 2,300-years-ago).

Join Sébastien Rey, curator of ancient Mesopotamia as he walks you through the discovery of the Sumerian civilization in the 1880s and how it took archaeologists another 100 years of excavating to realise that they had been excavating through the work of a previous archaeologist. The archaeologist? Adad-nadin-akhe. His commissioner? Alexander the Great.

CONTENT WARNING:
We will find French undies in an ancient Sumerian city. Or should it be we found? After editing this video I'm not exactly sure I can think in linear time anymore.

Heavily features the archaeology of archaeology. Linear time will mean nothing. You will eat your own tail. Bring tea.

Find out more about the work of the Girsu Project here: britishmuseum.org/research/projects/girsu-project

00:30 The most OTT intro yet
00:43 Ancient Girsu explainer
01:22 Yes archaeologists are up there with heroes and kings
01:30 A history of ancient Girsu Tello
02:05 Ernest de Sarzec's excavations at Tello ancient Girsu
03:15 Get your painkillers ready
03:23 Overview of British Museum excavations at Tello Ancient Girsu
03:49 Rescuing the Bridge of Girsu
04:24 How we re-excavated the 2 bricks
05:03 Fun fact: Irving rang Sébastien asking him to flip over bricks in case there was a board game on the underside of one of them. Sébastien found one 2 days later
05:10 yeah, we genuinely found French undies in an ancient Sumerian city
05:35 And now, bricks
05:50 Foundation inscription of King Gudea translation
7:27 House of the 50 Powers, Temple of the White Thunderbird translation
8:55 The most powerful statement in the world!
9:05 To make things function as they should.
9:30 Full translation of Gudea foundation inscription
9:49 Foundation brick of Adad-nadin-akhe
11:11 Temple of Alexander the Great in Iraq
12:12 What was the building Sarzec excavated?
12:26 Adad-nadin-akhe first archaeologist of Iraq
13:19 Meaning of name Adad-nadin-akhe
13:46 Coin of Alexander found in Girsu shrine
14:10 New meaning of Adad-nadin-akhe
14:28 The meaning of the Twin Temple of Herakles/Ningirsu and Alexander the Great
14:52 Recap of exactly how we ended up excavating the same brick 3 times
15:56 Next Episode Taster

#CuratorsCorner #mesopotamia #MakeThingsFunctionAsTheyShould

Trust us, this brick is interesting

The British Museum 2024-08-29 | This is the story of a very unassuming, Sumerian brick. Sure, it bears the names of mighty gods, powerful kings and contains 'the most powerful statement written anywhere in the world', but it's also quite a common brick to come across (if you're digging at Tello, Iraq). In fact, just how easy it is to find one of these bricks is exactly what makes this specific one so unique. Because this one specific example of the 'Gudea foundation brick' has been excavated and then re-excavated by archaeologists on 3 separate occasions: the third time was in 2016, the second in the 1880s, and originally around 323 BC (that's 2,300-years-ago).

Catch the full video here: youtube.com/watch?v=ffWBf0HmuqA

The life of an (extra)ordinary Roman soldier | Curators Tour of Legion: life in the Roman Army

The British Museum 2024-08-15 | How did you join the Roman army? What was life like in it? And if you were lucky enough to survive 25 years of service, what was your pension plan?

Join curators Richard Abdy and Carolina Rangel de Lima as they walk you through the entire life of Claudius Terentianus; a foreign soldier who joined the Roman army, eventually earned his dream of becoming a legionary, and eventually lived out his days as a retired Roman citizen.

In Legion: Life in the Roman Army, the letters of this plucky, ambitious soldier forms the basis of an exhibition that explores the lives of the ordinary citizens who helped form the most infamous fighting force of the ancient world.

If you'd like a catalogue for Legion: life in the Roman army, you can buy one here: https://rb.gy/mw1lgh

00:00 Introduction to Legion: life in the Roman army British Museum Exhibition
01:16 How to join the Roman Army
02:28 Roman Military Training
02:58 Roman Military Oath Sacramentum
04:00 Positions in the Roman Army
07:20 Roman Army Equipment
09:00 Only Surviving Roman Shield Scutum
10:15 Roman Legionary Army Cuirass
11:33 Life in a Roman Fort
15:25 Retirement from the Roman Army
17:00 What happened to Claudius Terentianus?

#military #Roman #britishmuseum

The Babylonian Map of the World with Irving Finkel | Curator’s Corner S9 Ep5

The British Museum 2024-08-01 | The Babylonian map of the world is the oldest map of the world, in the world. Written and inscribed on clay in Mesopotamia around 2,900-years-ago, it is, like so many cuneiform tablets, incomplete. However, Irving Finkel and a particularly gifted student of his - Edith Horsley - managed to locate a missing piece of the map, slot it back into the cuneiform tablet, and from there set us all on journey through the somewhat mythical landscape of Mesopotamia to find the final resting place of the ark. And yes we mean that ark, as in Noah's ark. Although in the earlier Mesopotamian version of the flood story, the ark is built by Ziusudra.

CONTENT WARNING:
Contains a baby Irving. His beard is not white.

00:00 Intro
00:52 Ancient Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablets
01:48 The oldest map of the world, in the world
02:07 What is the Babylonian Map of the World?
02:34 The Babylonian Map of the World explained
04:13 What are the triangles on the Babylonian Map of the World?
06:17 Missing triangle on the Babylonian Map of the World
06:52 Edith Horsley - Cuneiform LEGEND
07:20 Channel 4 News report on Babylonian Map of the World September 1995
08:32 BABY IRVING!
09:48 What the missing piece revealed
11:39 The ark and parsiktu-vessel
13:22 Mount Ararat and Mount Urartu
14:18 What does it all mean?
15:07 Author of Babylonian Map of the World
17:07 Next episode of Curator's Corner youtube.com/watch?v=ffWBf0HmuqA

#mesopotamia #curatorscorner #babylon

Michelangelo in under a minute with Curator Sarah Vowels #arthistory #Michelangelo

The British Museum 2024-07-25 | Don't miss your last chance to see this amazing collection of drawings, letters, sculptures, paintings and object d'art from the last 30 years of Michelangelo's prolific career.

The exhibition must end on Sunday 28 July.

The Art and Drama of Michelangelos Last Decades | Curators Tour British Museum Exhibition

The British Museum 2024-07-11 | In 1534, Michelangelo left Florence for Rome, never to see his native city again. He was 59, which many contemporaries regarded as old, but for Michelangelo this move marked the beginning of a dramatic new chapter which would fundamentally shape his experiences as an artist and as a man.

Join British Museum curators Grant Lewis and Sarah Vowles as they take you on a tour of our exhibition Michelangelo: the last decades

TICKETS: https://rb.gy/goojc4
Supported by James Bartos, Dunard Fund and a gift in memory of Melvin R. Seiden

Grant Lewis is The Milein Cosman Project Curator: Michelangelo: the last decades
cosmankellertrust.org

Michelangelo’s Blueprints for the Sistine Chapel Ceiling (and also a wall) | Curator’s Corner S9 Ep4

The British Museum 2024-06-27 | Famously, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Less famously, Michelangelo hated the Sistine Chapel ceiling – or at least the process of painting it. And we’re fairly certain that at the end of the 4-year process he swore he’d never do anything like it again.

But while he was a hugely successful artist, Michelangelo was a much less successful… not artist i.e. he was very bad at turning down work he didn’t want to do. Especially when he was asked to do it by the Pope.

So, 25 years after completing the ceiling, Michelangelo returned to paint the Sistine Chapel. This time, one of its walls. And while you might think that’s easier, the wall is huge, he was now 61-years-old, and also at some point he fell off the scaffolding. Join curator Grant Lewis as he takes you through Michelangelo’s process of conceptualizing, planning and painting the Sistine chapel - both the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgement. You'll get to spend time with Michelangelo's initial sketches and cartoons, right through to the final paintings. And if by the end of it you want to spend even more time with the great master's work, our exhibition all about Michelangelo is open until the end of July 2024.

Michelangelo: the last decades TICKETS: https://rb.gy/goojc4
Supported by James Bartos, Dunard Fund and a gift in memory of Melvin R. Seiden

Grant Lewis is The Milein Cosman Project Curator: Michelangelo: the last decades
cosmankellertrust.org

CONTENT WARNING:The 16th century is famed for its artistic innovations, not it’s OHSAS 18001 compliance.

#CuratorsCorner #Michelangelo #LastJudgement #CreationOfAdam

We found a lost temple using maths sent by an ancient Sumerian god | Curators Corner w. Matt Parker

The British Museum 2024-06-13 | It's not every day you get to say 'I found a lost, presumed to be mythical, ancient Sumerian temple'. Unless you're curator of ancient Mesopotamia Sébastien Rey. Because he did exactly that - rediscovering the Temple of Ningirsu in Girsu, in Southern Iraq. And he did it by cracking an ancient Sumerian maths puzzle that had stumped archaeologists for over 140-years.

Join Matt Parker and find out how unit fractions and predictive archaeology are 'way better than the golden ratio'.

Hugh thanks to Matt Parker for coming along for the ride. You can check out his video with curator Ilona Regulski on the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus here: youtube.com/watch?v=g_qbIsltNmQ

If you've been inspired by Ilona and Matt, and want to learn to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs you can do so with this video: youtu.be/LwZB0MsXCjQ

If you'd like to find out more about how we excavate at Tello, ancient Girsu, you can watch us excavate a cuneiform tablet from the ground, watch it being conserved, translated and delivered to its final home in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad: youtu.be/dwGmyy2Aabg

Find out more about the work of the Girsu Project here: britishmuseum.org/research/projects/girsu-project

00:20 Setting Matt Parker an ancient Sumerian Maths problem
01:15 Matt's first attempt at deciphering the tablet of Gudea
02:14 Is it a ruler?
02:16 It IS a ruler!
02:48 The most iconic statue of ancient Mesopotamia: the statue of king Gudea
03:56 The dream that built the temple of Ningirsu in Girsu Tello
04:33 The archaeological search for the lost temple of Ningirsu
05:12 How the British Museum excavated the lost temple of Ningirsu
05:19 Discovering the first temple gate
05:48 The clue that helped crack the temple of Ningirsu metrology
06:28 Matt's second attempt at deciphering the tablet of Gudea
07:48 Measuring out the temple of Ningirsu
09:08 Using predictive archaeology
09:17 Matt Parker: archaeologist
10:15 Proving the sceptics wrong... by digging more holes
10:43 The oldest architectural plan known in history
11:25 The beginning of abstract numeration in ancient Mesopotamia
12:37 Building with maths because it's nice
13:35 What came first, the statue of Gudea or the temple of Ningirsu?
14:45 Mathematics; the divine language of the Sumerians
15:36 Sumerian fractions are officially better than the golden ratio
15:41 Who is Ningirsu?

#curatorscorner #mesopotamia #maths

Everything you wanted to ask about the ancient Roman Empire | History Hotline

The British Museum 2024-05-30 | Deep within the heart of the British Museum is a mysterious and strange artefact - a telephone that only appears when inquisitive children have burning questions about history for British Museum curators.

This time the History Hotline appears on Roman archaeology curator Carolina de Lima’s desk, which means some of you must be studying the ancient Roman empire! This video was created in collaboration with schools, to work as an educational resource for ages 7-11 years, but it’s also great for families and adults to enjoy too!

If you want to find out even more about the ancient Roman empire, our exhibition Legion: life in the Roman army is on until June 23, 2024.
Find out more here: https://bitly.cx/L6f4

Children under 16 get free entry when accompanied by an adult.

You can also explore our educational resources and programming on our website. https://bitly.cx/z5LRI

00:58 How long did the Roman Empire last and how big was it?
02:27 What were the names of the Roman emperors?
03:06 What did the Romans do in the free time?
05:46 How did daily life in ancient Rome differ between citizens and slaves?
07:30 Did Romans eat junk food like Pizza?
08:18 Where did Roman soldiers go to the loo?
09:40 What language did the Romans speak?
10:15 How did a Roman get chosen to be in the Army?
12:09 How much did a Roman soldier earn?
13:13 Did women serve in the Roman army?

Image credits:
Wall painting image given by concession of the Ministry of Culture - Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
Titus Flavius Bassus tombstone © Römisch-Germanisches Museum der Stadt Köln/Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln, Anja Wegner
Illustrations © Rosey Taylor
Tondo: Tafelbild der Familie des Septimius Severus, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Antikensammlung /CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo 17960528 © Vladimir Sazonov | Dreamstime.com
Photo 77085622 © Boonlong Noragitt | Dreamstime.com
Photo 16029881 © Lance Bellers | Dreamstime.com
Photo 29045599 © Evgeny Drobzhev | Dreamstime.com
Photo 4533776 © Mustafa Ersin Kurtdal | Dreamstime.com
Photo 208210112 © Alexander Mychko | Dreamstime.com
Photo 87031155 © Andy Chisholm | Dreamstime.com
Photo 98532702 © Evren Kalinbacak | Dreamstime.com
Photo 161892088 © Aleksandr Grechanyuk | Dreamstime.com

#historyhotline #romanarmy #romanempire #romans

Discovering how a bark shield from the Iron Age was made | Curators Corner S9 Ep2 | Sophia Adams

The British Museum 2024-05-16 | The only way to find out what the Enderby Shield, the only known Iron Age shield made from bark, may actually have looked like is to task a crack team of experimental archaeologists with crazy Iron Age skills, and a nose for detective work, to authentically recreate it.

Curator of European and Roman Conquest period, Sophia Adams and this extraordinary team follow a trail of clues from laboratory findings at the British Museum, to marks and patterns on the remains of the shield itself, as they forensically piece together how this bark shield would have been constructed 2200 years ago.

This shield project was made possible by the inspiration and knowledge of Matthew Beamish and the skills and dedication of a team of field archaeologists, experimental archaeologists, independent specialists, conservators and scientists from The British Museum, University of Leicester Archaeological Services le.ac.uk/ulas, SUERC and York Archaeological Trust; including Caroline Cartwright and Barbara Wills (BM); Prof. Melanie Giles, Matthew Beamish, Adam Clapton and Roger Kipling (ULAS); Diederik Pomstra, Paul Windridge and Michael Bamforth. With thanks to Everards of Leicestershire and Mike Winterton and family.

#experimentalarchaeology #woodcraft #woodworking #basketry #ironage #shield #barkshield

Michelangelo The Genius Who Got Better With Age | With Sarah Vowles | Curators Corner S9 Ep1

The British Museum 2024-05-01 | He painted the Sistine Chapel, he sculpted the famous David, he was a poet, architect, and inventor. Everyone thought Michelangelo was a genius… except Michelangelo. And as he got older his self-doubt and search for reassurance from friends increased. Curator, Sarah Vowles, reveals how one the world’s greatest artistic geniuses coped with the challenges of getting old.

00:00 Introduction
00:21 The Fall of Phaeton britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-0915-517
06:14 Crucifixion britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-0915-509
10:01 Virgin and child britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1859-0625-562

Drawing of Phaeton - Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024

British Museum Curators answer your questions | Curators Corner S8 Wrap Up

The British Museum 2024-04-18 | It’s been a while since we posted Season 8 of Curator’s Corner, and in that time you guys have asked a lot of questions. An awful lot in fact!

So, we thought we’d try something new. We’ve invited some curators back to get you the answers you have been hankering after. It’s a kind of curator’s Q and A, and a Season 8 wrap up all in one.

Season 8 was pretty special because we got to travel to Japan, Iraq, Leicester and Highgate cemetery. And with almost all the films you wanted to know more. So…

00:36 Curator of Horology Oliver Cooke answers your clock questions, including something many of you were desperate to know. What watch does a curator of horology wear?

06:00 The BM’s Curator of Renaissance Europe, Rachel King’s video about how to date a very bling Tudor pendant linked to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, garnered a lot of questions. Not least, where was it found?

09:40 Although we couldn’t go back to Japan to ask woodblock artist Dave Bull your questions in person, he was flattered by the fact that quite a few of you thought he looked like Luke Skywalker.

12:56 That unique and amazing iron age shield made of tree bark, the Enderby Shield, really piqued your interest. Many of you couldn’t believe a relatively small bark shield would provide any protection in a battle at all. So we had to see what curator Sophia Adams had to say about that.

24:28 And curator Henry Flynn’s tour of Highgate Cemetery got a lot of you wondering how he even found some of those graves, given how hidden away they were?

Let us know if you like this wrap-up/Q & A, and if you have more burning questions we can do this again at the end of Season 9.

For those who need a reminder here is the Curator's Corner Season Eight Playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx602k1Hj_KYODjY11zT1cZEed

A playlist of Clocks and Watches at the British Museum
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx600xVMIZO9L6zXTP_-K8rcDC

To find out more about the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Treasure Process in the UK:
https://www.Finds.org
finds.org.uk/documents/treasure_act.pdf

Tales from the sea | Uncovering Peru’s island sculptures | Entangled histories | Español

The British Museum 2023-12-21 | Credits:

Film footage from Guardian of Guano
Written and directed by Ana Elisa Sotelo van Oordt, 2014

Line drawing from a Moche vessel (AD 100–800) showing a boat carrying prisoners, paddled by a supernatural being
Drawing: Moche Archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C.

Line drawing from a Moche vessel (AD 100–800) showing a sea lion hunt
Drawing: Moche Archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C.

Photo of Moche vessel (AD 100–800), Museo Larco, Lima, Peru, ML003202

Line drawing from a Moche vessel (AD 100–800) showing prisoners being led to sacrifice
Drawing: Moche Archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C.

Photos of workers extracting Guano on the Chincha islands, Peru, 1865.
From The New York Public Library
digitalcollections.nypl.org

Photo of Don Manuel Huamanchumo Piminchumo, about 1970, courtesy of Percy Valladares Huamanchumo

Illustrations by Amaro Serruche Agurto from Histories Del Abuelo by Percy Valladares Humanachumo (2020), pub Lima: Ediciones Rafael Valdez E.I.R.L.

The only artist in the world to embed gold leaves in glass; kirikane | Yamamoto Akane: Making Beauty

The British Museum 2023-12-07 | This series celebrates the work of living Japanese artists and craftspeople.
Yamamoto Akane puts the traditional decorative technique of kirikane centre stage in her stunning glass sculptures, with painstaking precision she melds gold leaves together, cuts them into tiny strands and shapes and then uses them to create mesmerising geometric designs inspired by Buddhist sculpture decoration.

This film, sadly delayed by Covid, is the last in the Making Beauty series. It is a fitting end piece to a series celebrating the innovation, precision and beauty of Japanese Kogei.

This film series has been produced with the support of JTI.

The Ramayana in Myanmar | A Burmese Tapestry (Kalaga/shwe chi doe) | Curators Corner S8 Ep10

The British Museum 2023-11-30 | In 1767, Hsinbyushin, king of the Konbaung dynasty of central Myanmar, launched an attack on the kingdom of Ayutthaya (central Thailand). After Hsinbyushin's victory, many of Ayutthaya's people were forcibly moved into the Burmese heartland, but with some continuing to work in their specialist fields. One such group were the Thai theatrical troupes. And they took the Burmese court by storm by giving performances of the Ramayana epic.

Today, curator Alexandra Green looks at a ‘shwe chi doe’ or ‘kalaga’, which is a textile hanging from central Myanmar. The textiles depicts scenes from the 'The Ramayana', which originated in India, but which was adapted for local use in many parts of Southeast Asia. Although known in Myanmar before 1767, the narrative became particularly popular after the arrival of the Thai troupes. It was performed and adapted in a variety of art forms, showing the lasting impact of Thai theatre in Myanmar.

Burma to Myanmar is on until 11 February 2024.
Find out more: bit.ly/46wfUYg

Supported by Zemen Paulos and Jack Ryan

Conservation of a wall painting tracing from the Kondo of Horyuji temple, Nara

The British Museum 2023-11-03 | This is a full-size tracing of wall no. 9, the Pure Land of Miroku, in the Kondo of Horyuji temple, Nara, painted in the late 7th century. In December 1879, the British diplomat Ernest Satow (1843-1929) visited Horyuji together with William Anderson and saw the Kondo wall-paintings. Realizing their importance, he commissioned the painter Sakurai Koun to produce a copy of wall no. 9, and this project began in May 1880. A duplicate copy was given to the head of the Museum Bureau, Machida Hisanari (1838-97), to encourage him to commission a full set of copies. Satow sent his copy of wall no. 9 to Anderson, who had returned to England in early 1880. Having formed part of the Anderson Collection at the British Museum since 1881, the drawing was rediscovered by Princess Akiko of Mikasa in 2007, during the research for her doctoral thesis.

Installation day is finally here | Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage | Ep 6

The British Museum 2023-10-27 | After four years of extensive conservation work on this amazing ancient Egyptian mummy coffin, the cartonnage is finally going on display!

Join the Museum's very own Fantastic Four; Verena, Barbara, Helene and John (open flames are not permitted in the Museum, so none of them are the Human Torch... and owing to the teams dexterity we're pretty sure none of them are the Thing either) for an update on the final work to get this incredible object ready for display and further study.

View the object now in gallery 62 at the British Museum.

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

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #Restoration

Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage | The Movie | Ep 1-5

The British Museum 2023-10-19 | Conservation work on the Sherborne Cartonnage has now been completed, and we’re happy to announce that we are releasing the final episode in this epic saga next week.

To bring everyone up to speed we've combined the first five episodes into an omnibus.

Get ready because this week we offer you Sherborne Cartonnage: The Movie. 48 minutes of pure unadulterated conservation content.

0:41 Ep1 Acquiring a "new" (2000-year-old) Ancient Egyptian coffin: Conservation of the Sherborne Cartonnage

8:55 Ep2 To fix a cartonnage, you need to know what's wrong with the cartonnage | Sherborne Cartonnage

15:09 Ep3 It's all about that base | Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage

24:36 Ep4 The saga continues | Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage

37:20 Ep5 Repairs with Barbara | Conserving the Sherborne Cartonnage

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

#AncientEgypt #Conservation #Restoration

Highgate Cemetery Tour | Famous (and not so famous) British Museum graves | Curators Corner S8 Ep9

The British Museum 2023-07-27 | Join Curator of ‘this and that’ Henry Flynn as he takes you, yeah you, on a British Museum themed tour of London’s Highgate Cemetery.

Highgate Cemetery is the final resting place of an incredible number of people you’ve almost definitely heard of. Philosopher, economist and political theorist; Karl Marx. Author and 6 ft 5 ape-descendant; Douglas Adams. Activist and founder of Notting Hill Carnival; Claudia Jones. Inventor of cinematography; William Friese-Greene. And of course, Thomas Watts; Keeper of Printed Books at the British Museum and man famed for having shelved over 400,000 volumes alone.

Okay so you may not have heard of Thomas Watts, but you will be very familiar by the end of this tour, where you will meet the artists, philosophers, writers, collectors and staff that have at one time or another contributed to the British Museum.

Huge thanks to Highgate Cemetery for letting us film at this incredible place for a day. If you'd like to visit the cemetery for yourself, you can find out about Highgate Cemetery Tours here: highgatecemetery.org/visit

CONTENT WARNING:
Henry really wants you to see his Doctor Who episode of Curator's Corner. Give it a watch if you haven't yet: https://shorturl.at/biIY2

Intro 0:03
Why was Highgate Cemetery built? 0:40
Grave of Douglas Adams 1:46
Grave of Henry Vaughan 3:38
Grave of Louisa Starr/Louisa Canziani 5:20
Grave of Thomas Watts 7:08
Grave of Karl Marx 9:15
Grave of Sir Colin St John Wilson, architect of the British Library 11:05
The British Museum British Library Bloomsbury site 11:45
Grave of Alfred Stevens, Wellington Monument 13:12
Conclusion 16:25

Why Peacocking in Ancient Athens might get you ostracised (ostrichsized?) | Curator’s Corner S8 Ep8

The British Museum 2023-07-06 | 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:
Most depictions of peacocks in this video are to scale, although the main depiction of a peacock is only 2 cms. No depictions of peacocks are in any way ostrich sized.

#PersianIncursion #OstrichsizedForPeacockOwnership #CuratorsCorner

The Iron Age Shield... thats made of bark? The Enderby Shield | Curators Corner S8 Ep7

The British Museum 2023-06-22 | In 2015, what we knew about Iron Age shields all changed. And it changed in a field in Leicester...

Iron Age Curator Sophia Adams explains the construction of the first shield made of tree bark *ever discovered* in the Northern Hemisphere - how it was built, how it was used and how it changes what we know about shields of the time.

It's 2,200 years old. And it's an object you can really get behind.

Content Warning: Contains wholesome depictions of Iron Age woodworking

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:12 Where the shield was discovered
02:02 The Boss shows this was a shield
02:25 Harvesting & working willow bark
04:05 Reinforcing laths
05:07 The basketry boss
05:34 The hazel rim
06:26 Lime bast stitching
07:30 The poplar handle
07:52 Extra features
08:17 Decoration
09:05 Dating the shield
09:30 Looking at the original boss
10:36 Damage to the original
12:25 Original basketry
12:55 What this shield tells us
14:50 Outro

Acknowledgements:
This shield project was made possible by the inspiration and knowledge of Matthew Beamish and the skills and dedication of a team of field archaeologists, experimental archaeologists, independent specialists, conservators and scientists from The British Museum, University of Leicester Archaeological Services le.ac.uk/ulas, SUERC and York Archaeological Trust; including Caroline Cartwright and Barbara Wills (BM); Matthew Beamish, Adam Clapton and Roger Kipling (ULAS); Diederik Pomstra, Paul Windridge and Michael Bamforth.

With thanks to Everards of Leicestershire and Mike Winterton and family.

#curatorscorner #ironage

Dave Bull Carves Hokusais Picture Book of Everything | Curators Corner S8 Ep6 #CuratorsCorner

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 #CuratorsCorner

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/research/projects/girsu-project

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?

Learn how to read Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs with Ilona Regulski | Curators Corner S7 E11

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

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 Ep9

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 Ep8

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?

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 Ep6

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