Masterpieces of the British Museum [Paperback]

J.D. Hill (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0714150681 | ISBN-13: 978-0714150680 | Publication Date: January 30, 2010

The British Museum is home to some of the world's finest and broadest collections, ranging from prehistoric times to the present and from ancient and modern cultures around the globe. This illustrated introduction to the collections, attractively designed with striking photographs, offers a fascinating summary of up-to-date information on about 250 of the Museum's highlights, including the most famous as well as a selection of lesser-known but equally intriguing pieces. From the Warren Cup to Durer's Rhinoceros, the Lewis Chessmen to the Aztec turquoise serpent and the Gayer-Anderson Cat, the iconic objects of the British Museum are here presented in an exciting and accessible new way. Grouped into twenty sections based on cross-cultural themes such as fashion, technology, myths, gods and nature, each with an illustrated introduction written by the Editor, every object is then illustrated with one or more large high-quality colour photographs. The accompanying text summarizes the unique story and features of each object. Introduced by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, the huge range and scope of the collections provide a stunning overview of mankind's artistic production around the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. D. Hill is Research Manager in the British Museum and specializes in the Iron Age. Contributors include curatorial experts drawn from the whole range of the British Museum's collections.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: British Museum Press (January 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714150681
• ISBN-13: 978-0714150680
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Sampler, December 29, 2010

By 

E. Paul Austin (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Masterpieces of the British Museum (Paperback)

Last week I picked up this nicely bound paperback at the museum for twenty pounds, plus the Value Added Tax of 17.5% (20% after Jan. 1, 2011) making this an expensive book; but the photos are truly striking - much better than the ones I took and the book is informative too. True, it leaves out many objects, due to the thousands of objects they had to choose from in the museum. And we didn't have time to see everything that is on display, so we must go again someday. Amazing collection from around the world and admission is free.

This beautiful book has over 250 excellent color photographs, usually one on each page with a few paragraphs of well written explanation. The 11 chapters are "grouped into sections based on cross-cultural themes, such as rulers, mythical beasts, dress and the human form, the resulting juxtapositions offer intriguing new insights into these widely varied masterpieces." Looking forward to spending more time with this book and MONEY - A HISTORY another recent purchase based on their money exhibit.

Above quote is from the inside cover. You'll also find the director's introduction, table of contents, 4 pages of further reading, a list of British Museum registration numbers, and an index. Edited by L. D. Hill, the research manager.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Undersized and over-priced., March 21, 2010

By 

Lothringen - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Masterpieces of the British Museum (Paperback)

Undersized and over-priced. The photos are colorful yet two-dimensional; and the written matter is uncompelling.