Art and design at KS2
The Museum’s rich collection from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the
Americas can provide inspiration for innovative art and design
projects. You can discover fascinating objects made using a
wide variety of materials and techniques and learn about their
diverse uses, meanings and symbols.
New guides for
teachers
A new set of guides designed to help
teachers access the richness of the objects in the Museum’s
collection for teaching Art and Design. The guides can be used
to support a visit or in the classroom with our online
collection.
Containers
Fundamental to our survival, containers of all shapes and sizes
are used in every area of life.
Download: pdf
(495kb)
Symbols
People across the world use symbols as
protection, to impose power, assert position, or represent their
identity.
Download: pdf (219kb)
Celebration
Often accompanied by music, costume, fire, food and drink,
processions and dancing, celebrations are lively active occasions
involving all the senses.
Download: pdf
(275kb)
Resources for visits
Benin Art
Uncover the famous bronzes from the royal palace in Benin – a
glimpse of a once thriving civilization in Africa.
Download: Word (1.2mb) pdf
(470kb)
Chinese Art
Jade jewellery, lacquer boxes, porcelain vases, bronze weapons.
Find out about Chinese art
materials and techniques.
Download Word (1.2mb)
pdf (714Kb)
Native North America
Explore North American pottery, ceramics, textiles, costume,
totem poles, and contemporary arts.
Order this free resource
Online resources
Explore
Search our online database of over 4,000 objects by object,
theme, material, culture or keyword. Teachers can download high
quality images and find detailed information about particular
objects at the Museum.
Online tours
Some very unusual objects have been used as containers through
the ages.
Meet some slippery customers in our fish tour.
Stories from
Bengal
Explore how objects tell some of the exciting stories that have
come from Bengal.
Useful books
L. Garner, African Crafts (The British Museum
Press 2004)
Designs Series (The British Museum Press) - a
series of books about design in different cultures including
Islamic Designs, Pacific Designs, Ancient Egypt Designs and many
others.
Fabric Folio Series (The British Museum Press)
- a new series of books looking at fabrics from different cultures,
including Silk in Africa, Textiles from Guatemala and Embroidery
from India and Pakistan.
H. Moore, Henry Moore at the British
Museum (London, The British Museum Press, 1981)
The above books can be purchased online, at the Museum shop
or at any bookshop.