After the Egypt wing, I was a little crabby, so it was time for a perusal through one of the gift shops and some lunch.
I did not buy this Rosetta Stone puzzle. Katie would have given me the evil eye in a big way.
This made me laugh aloud. That lion is making the same face I made at the end of my long flight.
Another thing I did not buy. I sent these to our family group chat, threatening to get them for the adult kids.
LUNCH. I actually had a lot of meals that were pretty similar to this. A random wrap or sandwich, with a drink. I don't eat breakfast, so I was hungry by this point.
It's a little loud and echo-y in here, but it was sunny and a pleasant spot for a bite.
Then it was off to see Other Stuff.
I'm always interested in China, of course.
I loved this little glowing teapot. I wish they'd had replicas of it in the gift shop.
There were lots of items in the China section, but 1) I wasn't feeling all that great right then, and 2) it wasn't as fascinating as the things we saw in museums IN CHINA, so I didn't really take pictures much in that area. I went up to visit Japan next.
This was a major bummer for me, because there was a bunch of Hokusai stuff in the gift shop, and I was excited to think I'd get to see The Great Wave. Nope. I feel like they should at least have a quality reproduction on display. Most of us can't tell the difference, anyway.
Scads of them. I got kind of sick of Roman vases when we did our Rome to the Reformation year homeschooling, so I didn't take the time to get up close and personal with these.
Lots of old money displays.
And some old jewelry, too.
If I was in Disneyland, these guys would have started singing or arguing.
More coins. Bri's husband is into coins, so I thought of them as I took many of these pictures.
King George II
Rocks have long been popular in our family. My dad and grandmother like(d) rocks. A couple of my kids like rocks. Personally, I like my rocks in gold or platinum settings, but I can appreciate an interesting rock.
This library area was for items donated to the museum from various collectors.
And still more canopic jars. Apparently, those were the thing to have in Egyptology's heyday.
I'm not sure I want someone staring up at me from the bottom of my soup.
Have you seen The Dig? I was very blessed to have someone at church tell me to watch it before going on my trip. Once I got here, I was so glad I'd seen it!
This is the Sutton Hoo exhibit.
This is a meticulously created reproduction, showing what the helmet probably looked like when it went into the burial mound.
And this is after being in the ground for roughly 1,200 years.
I saw a video on YouTube about a sword from the Sutton Hoo burial, and the gold & gem work is just so intricate and lovely.
Middle Eastern daggers. I liked these. They have fuzzy sheaths, like velvet, maybe? To me, they say, "I'm pretty, I'm soft, but I will cut you." I can respect that.
The sewing mama in me appreciated the traditional clothing displays.
I'd love to have the confidence to pull off wearing something ridiculously elaborate.
I love history. And museums. The best is when the two intersect with a subject I've dug into ahead of time. For the last few months, I've been fascinated by the history of the British monarchy. So seeing items from the reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III was very cool.
By the time I left, I'd seen hundreds of years of artifacts and collections, totaling thousands of items. It was a lot to take in.
The post boxes may be red, but the mail service seems to be a black hole. I sent my family a post card, and it still hasn't shown up yet.
On my way back, I picked up a pizza to enjoy in the room.
Purchases from the gift shop. The gun throne postcard, I knew Jack would think was neat. In reality, it's a sad commentary on might in Africa. Although I missed seeing the exhibit in person,
you can see it on Google street view. It's a powerful piece of artwork.
The British Museum website is very extensive, and worth poking around a bit, if you're interested. I saw things online that I missed in person. There are still lots of things on my bucket list in London, but if I was left with a few hours to fill and I had already done all of those, I would gladly go back and see some more.
I feel that your quiet line, "It was a lot to take in," is so much of an understatment. :) That's the kind of place you need a membership for, so that you can go back time after time . . . unless, of course, you live across the ocean.
ReplyDeleteIt was like trying to take a sip from a fire hose. The sheer volume of stuff is overwhelming. I love that it's a free museum, so the people who *do* live nearby can go and just see one section at a time without the Must. Do. Everything. in one day pressure.
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