Books published by British Museum Press

The Discobolus or discus-thrower is a marvellous classical piece of sculpture that over time has come to mean different things to different people. It is originally cast in bronze by the fifth-century BC sculptor Myron. This book tells the story of Myron's Discobolus both as an archaeological artefact and bearer of meaning.

In the visual arts of fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries in Europe, animals were understood in relation to the human world, whether as animals of the farm, estate or household, beasts of burden or as diversions in menageries and travelling shows. This book explores perceptions of natural world as seen through eyes of imaginative artists.

In ancient Colombia, people did not use gold as currency or desire it for its economic value. Gold was revered instead for its symbolic association and transformative properties. This book features over 100 masterpieces fashioned exquisitely in gold and its alloy tumbaga, including small votive figures, decorative nose rings and earrings.

Explores the history of Europe and the Mediterranean, bridging the gap between the Mediterranean and the North of Europe, the Byzantine and Roman empires and the barbarian world of the Dark Ages; a period that saw Christianity established as a major world religion as well as the rise of Islam.

"The Great Wave" is a colour woodblock print designed by Japanese artist Hokusai in around 1830. This book explores the meaning behind "Hokusai's Great Wave", in the context of "the Mount Fuji" series and Japanese art as a whole.

A guide to the ancient Olympic Games. It traces their mythological and religious origins, and describes the events, the sacred ceremony and the celebrations that were an essential part of the Olympic festival. It covers the diet and medical treatment of athletes, sponsorship, patronage, propaganda and revivals of the Games.

A beautiful and sumptuously illustrated book presenting the highlights of Renaissance court treasures

This ground-breaking book follows the rise of a distinctive school of Australian art that first emerged in the 1940s. It features 127 works by 61 artists, and includes concise artists' biographies and individual commentaries on the works.

Ideal as a spur to creative inspiration, this beautiful book offers a striking and unusual view of the wide array of Pacific art, evoking the skills of the most accomplished Pacific artists and craftworkers, past and present.

Eric Gill (1882-1940) is one of the twentieth century's most controversial artists. This title focuses on the clarity of Gill's drawn and cut line. It explores his genius as a letter cutter, wood engraver, sculptor and typographer in the light of his refined finished drawings and preparatory sketches.

Presents a fresh view of the early modern world through the eyes of Shakespeare, his players and audiences. This book illustrates the Catholic counterculture that is revealed through the failed Gunpowder Plot, which was later to prove the inspiration for "Macbeth".

Made from Bronze with eyes inlaid with glass pupils set in metal rings, the 'Meroe Head' is a magnificent portrait of Julius Caesar's great nephew and adopted heir Augustus (63 BC-AD 14).

Discovered in Suffolk in 1942, the Mildenhall Treasure is one of the most important collections of Late Roman silver tableware from the Roman Empire.

An accessible, highly illustrated introduction to the history, society, culture and art of Britain when it was a province of the Roman Empire

This book draws upon this recent scholarship to explain how those who first purchased these prints would have read them. Through stunning new photography of both well-known and rarely published works in the collection of the British Museum, including many recent acquisitions, the author explores how and why such prints were made, providing a fascinating introduction to a much-loved but littleunderstood art form.

This book explores the meaning and history of this fascinating object, and tells the tale of its remarkable survival and eventual passage to the British Museum.