The British Museum

 

The British Museum The British Empire once stretched across the non-western world. Their explorers and colonial administrators brought back many fascinating artworks from Africa, India, China and around the world. This is Britain's national treasure, much like our Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their collection contains millions of artworks from pre-history until modern times.

  • Highlights links you to their collection. You can then explore the collection by four topics. Note: Western cultures are in this list, too. be careful to research art from Africa, India, China, Japan, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Native North America and Native South America.

    • Highlights by Culture From the Aztecs to Zhou Dynasty China, from Medieval Japan to the Olmec culture, you can learn about artworks from these great cultures.
    • Highlights by People If you know the name of an artist or a person featured in an artwork, here's the place for your research. So you can see a folding screen by the Japanese artist Azuma Toyo or see what Shah Jahan, emperor of India looked like.
    • Highlights by Place Click here to find artworks by geographic area, using their modern name, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Have fun exploring!
    • Highlights by Materials Do you want to see artworks created with clay, enamels, feathers, or jade? This is the place for you. You may find something you never knew existed.

  • You can also take virtual tours of the museum by area, Africa, the Americas, Asia, Japan, and the Pacific.

  • Explore by themes such as animals, time, money and writing.

    •      		 
    Previous Back to Discover Non-Western Art Next