9 May 2024: The British Museum
Ancient Faces and Timeless Gazes
I have an abiding interest in Classical Antiquity and earlier, so the British Museum is my sort of museum. I always visit it a few times when in London as it’s only a 10 minute walk from the Cameron flat.
On previous visits I’d just walk up whenever I got the urge, but now the huge number of tourists means I had to book a ticket for a specific time (12:10 pm). And that’s just to get past the main gate. Then I had to queue up again for a security check. It was packed inside the museum, so I guess the booking system is really just to try to control the flow of people.
I spent some time wandering around but I found the crowd made looking at small exhibits in glass cases difficult. So I decided to go to the Egyptian sculpture gallery where I knew there were some large statues on high plinths.
While I was contemplating the timeless gaze of Ramessess II I hit on the idea of photographing faces and busts on this visit.
King Ramessess II
The colossal seated statue of King Ramessess II (1279–1213 BCE) was carved from one block of stone.
He seems very calm and in deep contemplation, and also looks very young.
Egyptian Sculpture (British Museum)
King Amenhotep III
Further along the gallery is the colossal granite head of King Amenhotep III (1386–1353 BCE).
His peaceful reign was a time of opulence and outstanding artistic refinement, often displayed on a grand and ambitious scale.
He does look peaceful and I like the hat.
The style and facial features are different to Ramessess II who lived 1,000 years later.
I wonder when the kings started wearing the ceremonial beard under the chin.
Egyptian Sculpture (British Museum)
Human-headed winged lion
I remember learning about the Assyrians in primary school and being impressed. And I’ve never forgotten the opening line of Byron’s The Destruction of Sennacherib that we read in high school. Here’s the first stanza:
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
It goes on in this vein: stirring stuff to excite the imagination of a young lad. The Assyrians were badass (tough, formidable and impressive). Their empire lasted from c.2,500 BCE to 605 BCE.
Human-headed winged lion
The human-headed winged lions were protective spirits that guarded the entrances to royal throne rooms.
They have proper beards.
Hawk-headed man
This creature with the body of a man and head of a hawk (or eagle) is another Assyrian protective spirit.
As I said, they were badass and this one has great hair.
I guess protective spirits were like superheroes for the Assyrians.
Sophocles
Sophocles looks rather stern and maybe a little bit worried in this marble bust. As the author of Oedipus Rex he certainly had a lot of tragic thoughts to deal with.
Little did he know that centuries later Freud would name a complex after the play’s protagonist.
The Sutton Hoo helmet
I know it’s not really a face, but I just love the haunting look of this helmet. It was found in an Anglo-Saxon grave at Sutton Hoo and may have belonged to a king of East Anglia. (See the links for more on all this.)
Can you see the flying beast ‘hidden’ on the front of the helmet?
I really love that it looks like the helmet has a moustache.
Sutton Hoo and Europe (British Museum)
Video about Sutton Hoo Helmet (British Museum)
The Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo
That’s all from the British Museum. Stay tuned for more adventures on our European Odyssey!