Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience.

Exhibitions and events

21 events

Pieces of paper laid out on the floor on top of each other.

Artists making books: poetry to politics
. Free .

This intriguing new show explores the history of artists taking on the medium of books.

Japanese festival float model teaser 1

Japan’s Festival Floats
. Free .

For centuries, summertime in Japan has centred around spectacular local festivals with costumes, singing, dancing and incredible floats.

A close up photograph of a silver griffin. The griffin has curled horns, a beak and gold details including its wings.

Luxury and power: Persia to Greece
. Book now .

Drawing on dazzling objects, this exhibition explores how luxury shaped the political landscape of Eurasia in the first millennium BC.

Ink and colour picture showing the head and shoulders of an elderly Chinese woman with her hair tied back. She is wearing green earings and a blue jacket decorated with gold leaves around the neck.

China’s hidden century
. Book now .

In a global first, the resilience and innovation of 19th-century China is revealed through the stories of its remarkable individuals.

A close up photograph of a woman wearing a blue dress underwater, with the sun on her face and her eyes closed.

£10
11 Jun 2023

Dauntless – Grace O'Malley, Pirate Queen
. Book now .

Debs Newbold gleefully delivers the boisterous, remarkable and inspirational story of her hero: Grainne ni Mhaille – Grace O'Malley.

Bust of Ramesses the Great in Room 4

Online events / Lectures & discussions / Members' exclusive

£16 (Members)
12 Jun 2023

Ramesses the Great: Egypt's king of kings
. Book now .

Join acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson to explore the life, dramatic reign and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great.

Detail of gold ornament showing head of lion-griffin.

Lectures & discussions

16 Jun 2023

Persian and Greek arts in the world of the Scythian warriors of Asia
. Book now .

Join archaeologist and Central Asia specialist Henri-Paul Francfort as he explores the art of the Oriental steppe of Eurasia.

Selection of gold, silver and glass tableware, including dishes and drinking vessels.

Lectures & discussions / Study days & courses

£35
18 Jun 2023

Gold, silver and glass from the Middle East to the Eurasian steppe
. Book now .

In this one-day international conference, scientific research will be used to throw new light on the luxury materials of antiquity.

Headshots of Gareth Russell and Philippa Gregory.

Lectures & discussions / Members' exclusive

19 Jun 2023

Philippa Gregory in conversation with Gareth Russell
. Book now .

Gain insight into the bestselling author's latest novel in her spellbinding Fairmile series, which reimagines the tumultuous Stuart period.

A close up of traditional Bulgarian costumes in red and blue with lace and embroidery detail.

23 Jun 2023

Celebrating traditional Bulgarian culture
. Free .

Join the London Bulgarian Choir and Folklore Ensemble Bulgaria – London for a free performance celebrating the country's cultural heritage.

Nine richly decorated gold vessels on a black background.

Lectures & discussions

£8
23 Jun 2023

The Gold of Thrace: the Panagyurishte Treasure
. Book now .

Join us for a talk on the extraordinary Panagyurishte Treasure from Bulgaria, found in its namesake town by three brothers in 1949.

Image of Rodreguez King-Dorset, half of his face in shadow.

24 Jun 2023

Windrush Secret
. Book now .

A remarkable play, following speeches by a white, far-right racist party leader, a black Caribbean diplomat and a Home Office official.