The British Museum in London is one of the most contentious houses of antiquity. This is mainly because the museum contains treasures of cultural and ethnic significance from the empire's former colonies. Room after room, one encounters items that were stolen or looted. Case in point- the Elgin Marbles. The Greek government built the New Acropolis Museum (www.theacropolismuseum.gr) specifically to house the Elgin Marbles...if the British Museum would be so kind as to relinquish them. Those disputes aside, the British Museum is a veritable wonderland for culture, art, and history buffs the world over. It also houses the famous Rosetta Stone, something I missed on my first visit to the museum (so, don't forget to ask where it is!). I always make a point to visit this museum, and here are some of the treasures I viewed this time:
The imposing main entrance to the museum.
Chess boards were originally in red and white, not black and white. I'd love to own a remake of this!
The Lewis chessmen. Half of the hoard is in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the other half is, of course, in the British Museum. Neither Scotland nor England technically have a right to claim the pieces, though, as they originated from Scandinavia. So, Sweden or Norway should be duking it out over who gets to house the pieces.
Greek vase depicting a scene from the Odyssey.
The Tring tiles from Hertfordshire, England. Hey, something that wasn't stolen or looted! How about that?
These busts are not Greek, but Cypriot, as evidenced by the facial features and curly beards and hair. I became fascinated by Cypriot art and antiquity after viewing these and others in the museum.
A map showing the dominance of the Roman Empire.
The bust of the Emperor Trajan. Born in modern-day Spain, he was the thirteenth emperor and reigned over the empire during a time of great expansion (hence the map above).
Another traditional Cypriot statue. I really love these!
The British Museum has a world-class collection of Egyptian antiquities. One could spend an entire day just viewing those rooms, though they are, not surprisingly, the rooms with the heaviest traffic.
The aquamarine color of these little figures is particularly unique.
Bookshelves in one of the Great Rooms. My home library will resemble this one day.
My dream flat, located just across the street from the British Museum. If I ever win the lottery, you can bet I'll be buying a flat in this building. Located in the fashionably literate Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, it's surrounded by museums, bookstores, and galleries.
