In many Vajrayana Buddhist temples in Java the five Buddhas are arranged in a mandala with Vairocana at the center. Bronze figure of Buddha Vairocana (Java) by The British Museum
Positioned at the crossroads of Asia, Gandhara has always been an ancient transit zone—as we see in this sculpture of the Buddha Head of the Buddha, Gandhara by The British Museum
The lamba (generic name for cloth in Madagascar) is worn as a shawl for everyday wear, but the Merina peoples of Central Madagascar also use it as a shroud in which to wrap the dead during burial ceremonies. Silk textile (lamba akotofahana), Merina peoples by The British Museum
Skill in pottery has been an important defining aspect of Japanese culture from earliest time Jōmon pottery by The British Museum
This brass head clearly portrays a person of status and authority, possibly a king (ooni) of Ife Head of a ruler, Ife by The British Museum
A tablet from ancient Iraq contains both a cuneiform inscription and a unique map of the Mesopotamian world. Map of the world by The British Museum
Sudan is home to the oldest sub-Saharan African kingdom, the kingdom of Kush. The Kingdom of Kush in ancient Nubia, ... by The British Museum
Watch and listen as several British Muslims recount their journeys to Mecca. Stories of the modern pilgrimage by The British Museum
Shadow puppets are popular in Java today, although the tradition dates back to the 11th century Shadow puppet, Java by The British Museum
This pendant represents a nobleman wearing a necklace, earrings and a lip plug from which hangs a mask with three suspended bells Gold pendant depicting a ruler, Mixtec by The British Museum
Offering vessels like this one have been found in the tombs of high-ranking Zapotec lords and noblewomen in the Oaxaca Valley in Mexico. Ancestor figure, Zapotec by The British Museum
Cholula was known for its beautiful polychrome ceramics that included a wide range of symbols such as calendrical dates, hearts, hands, and knives Pottery vessel, Mixteca-Puebla style by The British Museum
Mexica wooden slit drums (teponaztli) were generally decorated with designs in relief or carved to represent human figures or animals. Wooden slit-drum (teponaztli) by The British Museum
Dogs are the most commonly portrayed animal in the art of Colima Pottery dog, Colima culture by The British Museum
Ancient Mexico is renowned for the production of vivid greenstone mosaics Turquoise mosaics, an introduction by The British Museum
The serpent played a very important role in Mexica religion and many finely carved stone sculptures have survived. Serpents in Mexica culture by The British Museum
This magnificent sculpture of a Xiuhcoatl (fire serpent) has a blend of both realistic and mythical creatures. Xiuhcoatl (fire serpent) by The British Museum
The cult of the fire god Xiuhtecuhtli goes back many centuries before Mexica times and extended throughout Mesoamerica. Seated figure of Xiuhtecuhtli by The British Museum