Made for a sultan, this unusual automaton emblematizes the fierce hostility between British and Indian rulers.
A-Level: Animals in 2D or 3D works
This extraordinary carving is one of the largest relief sculptures in the world. Scholars still debate its meaning.
The Great Relief at Mamallapuram
Under Akbar the Great, the Mughal style of painting blended Indian, Persian, and Western artistic traditions.
Illustration from the Akbarnama
Snakes shedding their skin was a powerful metaphor for the Aztecs and is reflected in their pantheon of gods.
Double-headed serpent
In this hunting scene from the Persian Book of Kings, the ruler Bahram lives up to his nickname “Gur,” or swift.
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg (Horned Wolf), ...
Lavishly decorated with expensive materials for the chief’s exclusive use, this isn’t your average wine bottle.
Ceremonial Palm Wine Vessel (Cameroon Grasslands peoples)
While its itsy bitsy American counterpart climbed up the waterspout, the spider shown here brought wisdom to Ghana.
Linguist Staff (Okyeamepoma) (Asante peoples)
Symbols for the Fon kings, which were determined in a divination ceremony, supported and enhanced his authority.
Buffalo (Bocio) (Fon peoples)
Multiple points of view are combined in the decoration of this vessel, tip it and see!
Feline-Head Bottle
Intended to intimidate, this headdress was used by a member of the powerful Kumo society of blacksmiths.
Kòmò Helmet Mask (Kòmòkunw) (Bamana peoples)
These headdresses celebrate the divine Ci Wara, half man and half antelope, who introduced humans to agriculture.
Male and Female Antelope Headdresses (Ci wara) ...
These images reveal how the Sahara changed from rich grassland to inhospitable desert over thousands of years.
Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus
Egyptian archaeological finds tend to be remnants of the rich—little remains from the rest of society.
A bottle and a toy: Objects from ...
Scenes show Nebamun’s family at work and play, giving vibrant insight into the lives of ancient Egyptian elites.
Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Animal sacrifice played an important role in ancient Roman religion, but what was involved in the preparation?
Preparations for a Sacrifice
Tuffery’s iconic “tinned bull” addresses contemporary concerns about ecological health and food sovereignty
Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef ...
Hidden under volcanic ash for millennia, the beautiful frescoes in the houses of Akrotiri were recently unearthed.
Akrotiri, Thera
This ancient pot depicts not one, but two myths: Perseus slaying Medusa and Odysseus blinding the cyclops.
Eleusis Amphora
Though some debated that this was made by humans, scholars are now confident some of its markings were hand-carved.
Camelid sacrum in the shape of a ...
Only three inches high, Tiffany captures an ephemeral moment in nature with the most sumptuous materials.