A Journey through the Top Artifacts of the British Museum
The British Museum is one of the most famous museums in London, and houses a large number of permanent collections which cannot be seen in any other museum on the planet. The important collections displayed here include the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, the Lewis Chessmen, the Egyptian mummies, and many other attractions. This museum has a lot of highlights, which makes it difficult to see them all in a day. Below is the list of some important artifacts in the museum.
Kakiemon Elephants
These beautiful elephant models were made in Japan to be imported to Britain and Holland by the end of the 17th century. These colorful elephants also remind us of the historic time when the East India Company was controlling the supply of such items.
The Mummy of Hornedjitef
This is one among a couple of Egyptian mummies present in the permanent collection of the museum. Hornedjitef was actually the distinguished priest of the Temple of Amun located at Karnak. He served the Temple during the rule of Ptolemy III. The view of the inner coffin is nothing short of awesome, with rich gold plated decorative works going every which way.
Amphora
This is a wine jar with an awesome history dating back to 540-530 BC. It has black designs on a red panel with a honeysuckle border on the top. The pictures in this jar show the scene where Achilles kills the queen Penthesilea during the Trojan war, but realizes his love for her at the same moment.
Crystal Skull
The crystal skull is a clear carving of a human skull, which is made from white quartz. The museum purchased the rock crystal skull from Tiffany and Co.; it has frequently been examined many times since then. This artifact is thought to be a historic Pre-Columbian artifact. However, the experts who examined this object say that it was made in 19th-century Europe at a time when many were fascinated about the ancient culture.
The Becket Casket
The remains of Archbishop Thomas à Becket was once placed in this beautiful reliquary. The Becket Casket looks spectacular thanks to its valuable Limoges enamel decoration. After he was murdered at Canterbury Cathedral, Becket was canonized to be a saint, and his relics were distributed throughout Europe inside 40 caskets.