Treasures of the British Museum

by Marjorie Caygill

The BM is the greatest treasure house in the world and it could fill many books with pretty pictures ... but this is more than that. A choice selection of topics, some well known and obvious (Sutton Hoo, the Royal Cemeteries at Ur, the Elgin Marbles), others less obvious (the Folkton Drums, the Lothar Crystal), fifty in all, serve as the basis for description and discussion of both objects and collectors and the way in which the BM has acquired them. This unusual and interesting approach makes for a magnificent book: superb pictures, highly readable descriptions and lots of human interest anecdotes. The 2009 edition is significantly expanded with twelve new objects discussed, representing a refocusing away from Europe and the Near East and also showcasing artefacts, such as the Ringlemere Cup, acquired over the last few decades. `About as good as a book of this sort can be. A magnificent present ... if you can bear to part with it.'

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Marjorie L. Caygill was a curator who joined the British Museum in 1973 as Research Assistant, Secretariat. Assistant to the Director 1978. Retired October 2004 and 2008 Fellow of the Centre for Anthropology.

Reviews

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book includes some fine photographs, although nowadays one would prefer a higher proportion of colour photographs.

The emphasis of the book is on how the most important and, in some sense, the most popular items of the collection came to be acquired by the museum paying particular attention to the more colourful individuals who funded the expeditions or acquisitions, found the items or donated them to the museum.

The text of some of the chapters can be very brief, as is the case with the ninth chapter, Nineveh -the Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, which is included in full to give an idea of the tenor of the less inspired writing included in the book:

After Layard´s departure from Mesopotamia his assitant Hormuzd Rassam (1825-1910) continued to excavate at Nineveh and elsewhere under the direction of Henry Rawlinson. In December 1853 on the northern side of the mound of Kuyunjik he found the North Palace of Ashurbanipal built c. 645 BC. There he discovered perhaps the finest animal scenes of antiquity, the bas reliefs showing the lion hunt of Ashurbanipal. Here we see Ashurbanipal with his retinue setting out for the hunting field, horses snorting and pricking their ears. Captive lions and lionesses are released from wooden cages and, enraged by the baying of hounds held on the leash, they rush out only to meet a bloody death at the hands of the king. We cannot now know what was foremost in the mind of Ashurbanipal´s sculptor of undoubted genius. Was it the glorification of the king or, as one writer has suggested, ´a sympathy for the suffering beasts, so uselessly brave, roaring and defiant or twitching in agony of death.

[Hannah Spaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love museum guides. I really do. But this one seemed to discredit itself by glossing over the museum’s acquisitions practices. While it’s tricky to acknowledge and move on, the defense aspect constantly left me wondering. I also could have done with some instruction on how best to view the galleries, as on my visit I was totally overwhelmed.

[Mark Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated volume covers a sampling of many areas and objects of the British Museum. The fifty chapters include not only wonderful photos of many objects, but also informative histories, including biographical information of the donors and providers of the objects. A great intro and description of just a few of the huge number of treasures in the Museum. Great read!

[Andrew Ives · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely interesting book, well-written, and one which must have taken forever to research all the details. I particularly enjoyed the backstories of where the objects were found and how they made their way to the museum over the centuries, as well as the detailed descriptions of their origins, what they and how they were made.

If I had improve this book, and I'm nitpicking a little here, I would slightly change the choice of photographs. e.g. There is no photograph of the round reading room which is a criminal omission and some photos are in b&w when they really ought to be in colour. The text occasionally exudes a little too much enthusiasm a little too often for the museum, but I can forgive Caygill for being understandably proud of a remarkable institution. 4.5/5

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

During my visit to the British Museum, I picked up this book to help me remember the sights I had experienced. I appreciate having it to refer back to, and I highly recommend picking up books as souvenirs when traveling.

[Cathy Isaak I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good place to start