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Book chapter
A technical study of the Royal Clock Salt
The cameo heads on the base of the Clock Salt were examined using digital microscopy. . It was possible to take high-magnification images of the heads and use them for investigating potential materials from which they might have been created. The aim was to discover whether they were made from...Meek, Andrew ; Cooke, Oliver ; Shearman, Fleur ; Ling, Denise ; Cartwright, Caroline …
digital microscopy, marine shell cameos, and scientific research
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Book chapter
The Macabi Island wooden sculptures
Scientific identification using scanning electron microscopy revealed that wood from the algarrobo tree had been selected for making the iconic Macabi Island sculpturesCartwright, Caroline
scanning electron microscopy, Macabi Island, and wood anatomy
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Book chapter
The coffin of Takabuti
Description of coffin belonging to ancient Egyptian mummy of a woman named Takabuti, dating to the 25th Dynasty.Taylor, John
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Book chapter
The Roman pottery from Kab Marfu’a
This article looks at a pottery assemblage from the emerald processing site of Kab Marfu'a in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Dating primarily between the second and fourth centuries AD, it is functionally unusual, comprising a high percentage of imported amphorae and vessels for storage and pouring.Tomber, Roberta
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Book chapter
Beyond the boundaries of the Periplus: the Persian Gulf route in the supply to Myos Hormos and Berenike
This article compares the quantity of Parthian and Sassanian pottery found at the Egyptian Red Sea ports of Myos Hormos and Berenike. It demonstrates greater interconnections during the Sassanian period than the Parthian, correlating to the rise in international importance of the Sassanian empire.Tomber, Roberta
Parthian pottery, Myos Hormos, Red Sea, Sassanian pottery, Berenike, and Persian Gulf
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Book chapter
Systems of value in Vanuatu: reflections on the Ambae textile complex
This chapter discusses the diverse forms of value attached to plaited pandanus textiles on Ambae, an island in the south-western Pacific nation of Vanuatu. I explore their cultural and historical contexts and show the dynamic nature of textiles both as types or categories, and as individual items. Textiles are made...Bolton, Lissant
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Book chapter
Change and transformation: Picasso the printmaker
An analysis of Picasso's activities as a printmaker being dependent on his proximity to printers and their workshops at different periods during his career.Hincelin, Emmanuelle ; Andres, Violette ; Lloyd, Christopher ; Philippot, Emilia ; Robinson, William H. …
collaboration, Picasso, printmaking, and printers
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Book chapter
Sex and sensitivities: exhibiting and interpreting Shunga at the British Museum
For much of the British Museum's long history it has had a difficult relationship with sex, sexuality, and gender diversity. Most museums and galleries have been reticent to display publicly, or meaningfully interpret, objects that explicitly reflect these themes, or which challenge society’s heteronormative ideals. The museum’s special exhibition program...Frost, Stuart
British Museum, interpretation, exhibitions, shunga, gender, sexuality, and visitor research
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Book chapter
Scientific study of the etching process used on ancient carnelian beads
Etched carnelian beads are a striking example of the very high level of technological skills developed by ancient civilisations to create ornament and jewellery. This study combines the characterisation of etched areas of archaeological beads from the British Museum collection with the experimental etching of modern carnelian in laboratory conditions,... -
Book chapter
The results of new scientific analyses of gold bracelets from Taksai-1 and an iron sword from Issyk in the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The British Museum held the BP exhibition Scythians: warriors of ancient Siberia from September 2017 to January 2018. Among the many exhibits were several important objects dating from the early Iron Age on loan from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including two gold bracelets...Lang, Janet ; O'Flynn, Daniel ; Mongiatti, Aude ; Yarygin, S. A. ; Satubaldin, A. K.
gold, Issyk, bracelets, akinakes, scientific research, Taksai-1, and Early nomads
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Book chapter
Foreword to Living with Art
This foreword to the publication by Catherine Daunt outlines how the author became involved with the collector Alexander Walker (1930-2003) and the circumstances leading to his Bequest of his collection of modern works on paper to the British MuseumCoppel, Stephen
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Book chapter
The Early Middle Palaeolithic of Britain and Jersey: reconnecting the Saalian occupations of the Channel Region
The Early Middle Palaeolithic of southern Britain is best represented by the record recovered from within the terraces of the Thames, within which some attempt has been made to correlate particular sites to substage level within MIS 7. It has been suggested that there are particular features of the British...Scott, Beccy ; Ashton, Nick ; Shaw, Andrew ; Pope, Matthew
Jersey, Lithic industry., Early Middle Palaeolithic, Channel River, and Southern England
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Book chapter
Understanding wood choices for ancient panel painting and mummy portraits in the APPEAR project through scanning electron microscopy
In Roman-period Egypt, it is clear that despite maintaining the traditional practice of mummification, there was a fashion for funerary portraiture that echoed Greek and Roman traditions in the Mediterranean region. The excellent condition of preservation of the wood anatomy of these mummy portraits enabled an unexpected revelation from their...Cartwright, Caroline
Egypt, scanning electron microscopy, timber, Roman period, wood anatomy, and mummy portraits
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Book chapter
Metal conservation, cellulose nitrate and the Oddy Test
Conservation materials such as coatings, adhesives and consolidants are often applied to museum objects and, as such, are present in stores or display cases. It is necessary to check they do not emit volatiles that are harmful to object materials and one way this can be done is with the...Eggert, Gerhard ; Bette, Sebastian ; Ziegler, Julia ; Korenberg, Capucine ; Kuiter, Rebekka …
Frigilene, cyanide, HMG, cellulose nitrate, silver, Oddy test, and conservation materials
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Book chapter
Money and representation: text, image and message
An examination of the roles of text and image in the three major traditions of world coinage in the period 1400-1700.Cook, Barrie
text, coinage, Coin, authority, and numismatics, image
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Book chapter
The visual representation of ghosts in Early Modern Japan
An examination of representations of ghosts in early modern Japan, including paintings, woodblock prints and books, kabuki theatre and martial ghosts.Buckland, Rosina
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Book chapter
The sound of little feet at the British Museum
The British Museum is an iconic space housing objects from across time and around the world. As part of the public programme the Schools and Young Audiences Team run under 5s provision using different spaces and objects as inspiration for activities which encourage participation, exploration and enjoyment. In this chapter...Kelland, Kate ; Hoare, Katharine
learning, under5s, creative, activities, Museum, and galleries
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Book chapter
Two sides of the coin: from Sophytes to Skanda-Karttikeya
This volume provides a thorough conspectus of the field of Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek studies, mixing theoretical and historical surveys with critical and thought-provoking case studies in archaeology, history, literature and art. The chapters from this international group of experts showcase innovative methodologies, such as archaeological GIS, as well as providing...Jansari, Sushma
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Book chapter
A passion for prints: Netherlandish engravings in an early sixteenth-century prayer book
An extraordinary prayer book manuscript dated c. 1530, recently acquired by the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), shows that printed images became recognized as a collectible category of art much earlier than is commonly understood. The manuscript includes 16 masterfully hand-coloured engravings by Netherlandish printmakers, including Lucas van Leyden’s 12-print series, the Engraved...Horbatsch, Olenka
Lucas van Leyden, manuscript, hand-coloured, engravings, Netherlandish, modified prints, etchings, Frans Crabbe, and prints
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Book chapter
Touching the past: the Breadalbane Brooch and its bearers
The Breadalbane Brooch is a highlight of the British Museum’s early medieval Insular collection. A lavish accessory, it writhes with interlace and glitters with gold and glass gems. Encountering it on display, its first impact is as an art object rather than something that was made and used by real...Brunning, Sue
Symbolism, Zoomorphic, Pictish, Insular, Scotland, Irish, Picts, Celtic, Modification, Brooch, Early Medieval, Ireland, Dress, Use-wear, and Metalwork
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Book chapter
Defining a Romano-Egyptian painting workshop at Tebtunis
The collections of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, include eleven mummy portraits excavated between 1899 and 1900 from Tebtunis, Egypt. This group constitutes one of the largest assemblages of Roman-period mummy portraits to remain both together and unrestored since excavation; as such, it presents...Williams, Jane ; Cartwright, Caroline ; Walton, Marc
painting, Egypt, Tebtunis, mummy portraits, scientific research, wood anatomy, and pigments
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Book chapter
Early medieval industries of Khurasan and evidence for the mining, working and export of talc cooking pots, and small items of jet and turquoise
Discussion of textual evidence for the exploitation of different resources in Khurasan, and how archaeological evidence from Merv shows the import of talc cooking pots, and small items of jet and turquoise from neighbouring highland Iran in the early medieval period, with the implications that they raiseSimpson, St John
archaeology, Khurasan, and Merv
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Book chapter
The small finds
Part of a multi-author chapter discussing late and post-medieval finds from excavations on the island of Kinolhas, illustrating links with South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa, and illustrating the importance of the Maldives within Indian Ocean networks.Abe, Yoshinari ; Dussubieux, Laure ; Wood, Marilee ; Haour, Anne ; Simpson, St John
archaeology, Indian Ocean, and Maldives
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Book chapter
An analysis of coca leaves
Six Paracas/Nasca textiles with embroideries were scientifically examined not only to identify the fibres, but also to see if any of the textile bags contained traces of coca leaves. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that one of these bags still contained tiny traces of coca leaves.Cartwright, Caroline
coca leaves, textile bags, and Peru
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Conference paper (published)
Remote monitoring for museum pests ‐ a 21st century approach
Monitoring insects is a fundamental element of Integrated Pest Management, and advanced planning is crucial to enable staff suitable time to replace monitors, identify insects and respond to concerns. As is fairly standard in Museum and other heritage collections, the British Museum, undertakes quarterly monitoring and teams of trained collections...Austin Gonzalez, Carlos ; Marasco, Tatiana ; Portoni, Fabiana ; Kelley, Patrick ; Doyle, Adrian
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Exhibition catalogue
Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes
This is the catalogue to accompany the British Museum's International Touring exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes currently in Australia, moving to Auckland, New Zealand next year. It features text by Dr Peter John Higgs, Curator, British Museum, with an introductory essay by Professor Alastair Blanshard, University of Queensland,...Blanshard, Alastair ; Burton, Diana ; Higgs, Peter John
Sport, Greeks, and Competition
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Exhibition catalogue
Troy: Myth and Reality
Published to accompany a major exhibition at the British Museum, this beautifully illustrated book searches for the reality behind both the legends and the site of the ancient city itself. It introduces the storytellers who set down the original narrative, and recounts the fateful course of events – from the...Villing, Alexandra ; Fitton, J. Lesley ; Donnellan, Victoria ; Shapland, Andrew
Greek myth, Reception of antiquity, Classics, Troy, Trojan War, Homer, and Classical reception studies
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Exhibition catalogue
El sueño americano: del pop a la actualidad
Catalogue for the international touring exhibition The American Dream: pop to the presentCoppel, Stephen ; Daunt, Catherine ; Tallman, Susan
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Book
Egypt and Empire: The Formation of Religious Identity after Rome
Across Eurasia and North Africa in the First Millennium AD, empires rose and fell, each adopting a universalizing faith which distinguished it broadly from its neighbours. In Egypt, our sources are particularly rich, owing to the land's arid climate and the unparalleled survival not only of stone, ceramic and metalwork,...O'Connell, Elisabeth R.
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Book
Painting Amara West: The Technology and Experience of Colour in New Kingdom Nubia
The first in a series of volumes generated by the British Museum's Amara West Research Project, this explores the use of pigments and the experience of colour in the town founded around 1300BC as a centre of the pharaonic administration of Upper Nubia (Kush). Combining scientific analyses, archaeological fieldwork, and...Fulcher, Kate
pigments, colour, and Amara West
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Journal article
A non-invasive investigation of Egyptian faience using Long Wavelength Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) at 2 μm
Egyptian faience is a non-clay ceramic semi-transparent material formed of a quartz core and alkali-lime glaze. Previous investigations have identified production techniques by using microstructure images obtained from invasive methods. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive 3D imaging technique that produces virtual cross-sections of transparent and semi-transparent materials. A...Read, Margaret ; Cheung, C. S. ; Liang, Haida ; Meek, Andrew ; Korenberg, Capucine
Egyptian faience, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and microstructure
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Journal article
The use of wood-based products in showcases: an insight into current practices
It has long been established that wood emits volatile organic compounds that can be harmful to museum collections. An online survey was conducted to assess whether museums still used wood and composite wood inside showcases and, should this be the case, what strategies they employed to reduce the risk posed...Bertolotti, Giulia ; Korenberg, Capucine
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Journal article
Refinements introduced in the Oddy Test methodology
The ‘Oddy test’ is an accelerated corrosion test introduced in the 1970s at the British Museum to identify materials likely to emit volatile substances that could harm museum artefacts. It is carried out in many museums all around the world, but not always using the same methodology, which makes it...Korenberg, Capucine ; Keable, Melanie ; Phippard, Julie ; Doyle, Adrian
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Book chapter
David Williams' treasures and the role of the Finds Liaison Officer in the treasure process
The Treasure Act 1996 makes it a legal requirement for finds of gold and silver objects, coin and prehistoric base-metal hoards to be reported to the Coroner. Its purpose is to enable museums to acquire these finds for public benefit. In practice the administration of cases reported under this law...Richardson, Ian
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Book
Chinese Numismatics: The World of Chinese Money
This is the first book to explore the history of the field of Chinese numismatics from both Eastern and Western perspectives. Consisting of four papers that complement each other beautifully, it gives a sound introduction to the study of Chinese numismatics, focusing on the 19th century and, crucially, how to...Wang, Helen ; Thierry, Francois ; Jankowski, Lyce
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Book chapter
A licence to conserve: cultural diversity as a practical asset in conservation
This paper, co-authored by conservators from the Hirayama Studio at the British Museum, discusses whether staff at a Western institution have the right and appropriate qualifications to conserve objects from different cultures. What is appropriate in conserving culturally diverse material? Do we at the British Museum, on the one hand, risk...Weiss, Carol ; Qiu, Jin Xian ; Kim-Marandet, Meejung ; Kosek, Joanna ; Kusunoki, Kyoko …
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Journal article
Re-membering Osiris: Late Period casting moulds and Osirian ritual
In 1969, a unique set of Late Period bronze casting moulds was discovered at the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis illustrating the chaîne opératoire of the lost-wax technique. Usually only mould fragments, if anything at all, remain in the archaeological record, but this assemblage presents complete examples representative of different phases of...Verly, Georges ; Auenmüller, Johannes ; Delvaux, Luc ; W. Rademakers, Frederik
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Journal article
Coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales 2020
An annual summary of coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales found up to the end of the year before the year of publication of the journal.Ghey, Eleanor ; Andrews, Murray
Medieval, Iron Age, hoards, coins, archaeology, Early Medieval, Roman, Post-Medieval, and numismatics
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Book chapter
Hoarding in Roman Britain: an archaeological and contextual approach
An overview of the approach and results of the British Museum / Leicester University AHRC funded project studying Iron Age and Roman hoards from Britain.Ghey, Eleanor
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Journal article
The bad side of recycling: the use of ancient coins as a source of material for modern forgeries
A group of six coins from Ithaca in the British Museum collection has been analysed using a bench Bruker Artax X-ray fluorescence spectrometer on a polished surface. The coins can be stylistically divided into two variants. The analysis highlighted that the two variants are chemically different, with one suspected of...Perucchetti, Laura ; Dowler, Amelia
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Journal article
Counting when, who and how: visualizing the British Museum’s history of acquisition through collection data, 1753–2019
This paper critically examines the possibilities of using the British Museum’s collection database as a research tool to examine acquisition history. It publishes initial findings from the author’s research into the history of the collection through a quantitative analysis of collection data. Rather than focusing on individual collectors, collections or...MacDonald, Isobel
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Journal article
The scientific study of the materials used to create the Tahitian mourner's costume in the British Museum collection
The British Museum houses one of the few examples of a complete mourner's costume from Tahiti in the world. For the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's first voyage, the costume was displayed for the first time in over forty years. The conservation assessment of the numerous parts that compose the...Tamburini, Diego ; Cartwright, Caroline R. ; Adams, Julie
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Book chapter
Gandhāra in the news: rediscovering Gandhāra in The Times and other media
Although I have had the pleasure to work alongside colleagues at the British Museum whose research has focused on Gandhāra, my own research has been more peripheral: for example, on East Asia and collection history. For the ‘Rediscovery and Reception of Gandhāran Art’ workshop, I suggested looking at Gandhāra through...Wang, Helen