Theatre and Arts in London: Friday: British Museum

Friday was a semi-free day. We had nothing officially planned, but an optional trip to go to the British Museum that afternoon. I am so glad I went! During the morning I worked on updating this blog, so with luck I will be able to post on it three times a week now, instead of once a week.

The British Museum is one of the largest tourist attractions in London. We went later on a day it was opened late, so it was less crowded than a normal day. I think there were still plenty of people around, so I don't want to see it on a normal day! It is free to visit the regular collections, and after spending two and a half hours there we only saw a portion of a fraction of the tip of the iceberg! They should rent out cots for people who want to see everything!

Chariot Race

We stopped in Ancient Greece for a while, looking at the Elgion Marbles, straight from the Parthenon! Mom, I thought of you when I saw these horses. Look at the care they took to make them lifelike!

Tomb and concert

Looked like they were setting up for a concert in front of this magnificent tomb, but the lighting was great. We walked to the side and got some closeups of the details, but the overall affect is striking!

Then we walked up to the third -or was it fourth?-floor to visit ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. I truly didn't know which way to look! Think Abu in the first moments in the Cave of Wonders.

Story in Pictures

And,

Sarcophagi

Tim warned us going in that we would only be looking at a few things, so try not to look at anything else - it was still difficult to focus but we managed for the most part. There are a lot more than these, about 12 large rooms, think about it. Dead beings on display, on they get viewed thousands of times a day! What cemetery or graveyard can boast those numbers?!

Chess Set carved from Walrus Tusk

Ever wonder about the amazing chess pieces used in HP and the Sorcerers Stone? Wonder no more! This is where they came from! This set and several other items were discovered a long time ago, in fact the original colors would be red and white, like the board. Isn't amazing the details carved into the ivory?

Front Plate for Chess set

Here's another shot:

Larger example of the set

This was an amazing find, I'm glad I got to see it in person!

Then we went to see another find. In the mid-twentieth century a farmer was plowing a field and discovered a hoard of old silver plates and bowls, later to be known as the Mildenhall Treasure. These are some amazing pieces, in tact.