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Exhibitions and events

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25 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.

Black and white print showing map of Venice with chreub-like heads in clouds and boats in the water surrounding Venice.

Venice 1500: Jacopo de’ Barbari and the rise of printmaking
. Free .

This display showcases the innovation and variety of printmaking in Venice during the High Renaissance.

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.

Gold armlet with two dragon looking figures attached.

Exhibition / Family activity

1 Jun 2023

Persia and Greece: family art and tales
. Free .

Join us for crafts and storytelling celebrating the art and culture of ancient Persia and Greece.

A small bottle with an orange stopper. On the front, it has a black and white image of an old Chinese man with a long white beard wearing a skull-cap.

Online events / Lectures & discussions

1 Jun 2023

Curator's introduction to China’s hidden century
. Book now .

Join curators Jessica Harrison-Hall and Julia Lovell as they introduce the context and highlights of this extraordinary exhibition.

Clay tablet with cuneiform script etched on it.

Study days & courses

£129
2 Jun 2023

Old Persian cuneiform for beginners
. Book now .

An introduction to the basics of the Cuneiform script and the Old Persian language.

Two young people in the British Museum at night.

3 Jun 2023–4 Jun 2023

British Museum sleepover: 300 sleepy Spartans
. Sold out .

Experience the Museum after dark and discover the awesome ancient civilisations of Greece and Persia, through crafts and storytelling.

Empty view of the Japanese gallery.

9 Jun 2023–28 Jul 2023

The way of tea
. Free .

Discover the history of tea drinking and gathering in Japan in this free demonstration of a Japanese tea ceremony.

Kathy Hall in the costume of The Imperial Concubine Intoxicated. © G. Guifei.

£12
9 Jun 2023

The Imperial Concubine Intoxicated
. Book now .

Come and be beguiled at this rare and special performance of Part one of this Jingju opera classic, featuring Kathy Lee Hall.

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.