• Posts Tagged ‘British Museum’

    Review: The Hajj At The British Museum

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    Where's Waldo?

    In 1324, Mansa Musa, king of the Malian empire, left on his pilgrimage to Mecca. He took with him a retinue of 60,000 followers, used Andalucian architects to build a palace in Timbuktu along the way and peaceably incorporated a quarter of Africa into his realm. When he was done, he had the second...

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    Review: Treasures of Heaven Exhibition at The British Museum

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    Tof1

    So how was your Saturday? My mother the psychonaut and I saw a piece of the True Cross, had some brunch, then pub-crawled down the Thames drinking Pimm’s and rosé. The head is a bit sore this morning, to be honest. In fact, I don’t think I’d get through the door of the exhibition...

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    When Buddha Met Hercules: The Lessons of Aï Khanum

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    Balkh in northern Afghanistan, the home of Zoroaster

    In 1964, the Afghan King Zahir Shah was hunting in the marshlands by the Oxus river, close to the Soviet border. One of the local villagers showed him a carved stone. This turned out to be a fortuitous move. You see, the King was a passionate antiquities expert. He immediately recognised its significance and...

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    Real Life Magic Artefacts: The Lothar Crystal

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    Bling seemed more bling back then

    It sounds like a Buffy prop, doesn’t it? But no, it’s real, just like the Warren Cup. However it’s considerably younger. It was made in the mid-800s in Germany (which may explain its craftsmanship and longevity?) No one knows precisely why it was made but we can make an educated guess as to for...

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    Real Life Magic Artefacts: The Warren Cup

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    It's weird the sex toys that haven't lasted through the ages. Not the handle, the voluminous cum rag

    Did you know that there is an actual black grail? A physical object from antiquity that the was banned from entering a terrified America as late as 1953? (It was turned away from New York for being too controversial. Joke’s on whoever made that call.) Did you know that it was only publicly displayed...

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