British Museum Magazine Autumn 2020 Magazine Autumn 2020 Issue 97 £3.50 Face to face Uncovering masks from around the world Global responsibility The Director shares thoughts on the Museum’s future 11 36 Acquisitions What is ‘black goo’? Kate Fulcher and John 12 Taylor analyse a mysterious Gifts from the past ritual that formed part of an Christopher Date recollects Egyptian funerary practice a remarkable gift of Japanese objects 39 Resilient cities 14 Greg Woolf follows the Contents Digital discoveries evolution of the most Michael Tame celebrates long-lived cities of the the Museum’s revamped Mediterranean Collection online 42 16 The origins of writing A global vision Andrew Robinson outlines Hartwig Fischer discusses various theories about the Museum’s past, present how writing frst came into and future with Clarissa Farr existence 22 46 Keisai Eisen, colour Behind the mask Recording our past woodblock print of two geisha, c.1820–9. Clive Gamble examines the Michael Lewis commends Bequeathed by Captain 03 Museum’s varied collections the continuing work of Collingwood Ingram. Editorial of face coverings the Portable Antiquities Scheme 05 26 Black Lives Matter Living through London’s 50 Hartwig Fischer outlines contagion Finding the fakes the Museum’s policy Hilary Williams describes St John Simpson shows the 17th-century plague how the Museum helped to 07 identify a recent shipment Insight 30 of fake antiquities Lachlan Goudie enjoys Warp and weft the humour of the Lewis Pamela Cross gives the 53 Chessmen background to a collection Book reviews 08 of Sumatran textiles 56 Diary 32 Trustee’s choice The lost art of the curse Mary Beard tells the moving 09 Stuart Vyse sheds light on story that inspired a Roman News ancient spells and sorcery memorial The British Museum: +44 (0)20 7323 8000 British Museum Friends accept Cover Turquoise Mixtec-Aztec Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG no responsibility for the content of mask possibly representing the god britishmuseum.org advertisements in this Magazine and Xiuhtecuhtli, c.1400–1521. British Museum Friends: +44 (0)20 7323 8195 have no view on the authenticity or [email protected] legal status of any works that might be We aim to ensure that information about mentioned or illustrated therein. It is the British Museum Magazine: +44 (0)20 7323 8125 exhibitions outside the British Museum is policy of the British Museum Friends to correct, but readers are advised to check Editor: Caroline Bugler accept antiquities advertisements only with venues before visiting. Editorial Assistant: Jessica Lane where we receive assurance from the Proofreader: Helen Knox advertiser that the illustrated object is Advertising: Maya Champaneri: +44 (0)20 7300 5675 documented to have formed part of a Catherine Cartwright: +44 (0)20 7300 5658 legitimate collection prior to 1970. Photography: BM Photography and Imaging (unless stated otherwise) Design: Tina Hall/Perfect Sky Repro: PH Media Printing: Precision Colour Printing All images © 2020 The Trustees of the British Museum, unless stated otherwise All information correct at time of going to press. British Museum Magazine Autumn 2020 1 Editorial Clarissa Farr. Different voices For the first time since the Second World War the swimming, Stuart Vyse, writing on the lost art of the Museum has had to close its doors for an extended curse, reveals how bathers got their own back at the period of time, and the galleries which normally public baths during the Greco-Roman period. teem with curious visitors have fallen quiet. Behind It was a great privilege for me at the start of the scenes, with many staff working from home or on lockdown to spend an afternoon in video conversation furlough, the conservation team has been carefully with our Director Hartwig Fischer about his monitoring the condition of objects so they are ready extraordinary career and future ambitions for the for display on our return; the exhibitions team has Museum. A shortened version of our talk appears been preparing to resume our special exhibition here. The work of the Director and many others has programme while the senior staff have been planning continued apace. Michael Lewis explains, for example, the complex logistics of reopening. Everyone is focused that the Portable Antiquities Scheme, co-ordinated by on that much-anticipated moment when light will the British Museum in partnership with Amgueddfa flood the galleries and our visitors will return. Cymru-National Museum Wales, has continued its This edition of the magazine allows us to hear some painstaking work of recording new discoveries, with different voices and find new facets of the collection to 5000 new records created during lockdown. My explore. Pamela Cross of the Friends Advisory Council personal favourite? The copper alloy mount showing reminds us that objects are woven with their own story the fearsome white boar of Richard III found in as she describes how richly coloured and intricate Colyton, Devon. Toba Batak textiles have been passed down and used We hope you will enjoy these pages as they shed new in family rites of passage. Andrew Robinson, also a light on the collection. The loyalty of our Members member of Council, uncovers the fascinating and still who have continued to support the work we do evolving history of writing: ‘the greatest invention in through this difficult time is cause for celebration and history since it made history possible’. At a time when gratitude. We look forward to the time when we will the longevity of communities is on our minds, Greg be able to gather together once again and share the Woolf writes about the ‘urban resilience’ of cities unique experience of engaging with the collections in such as Thebes, Corinth and Carthage and how they our wonderful building. are ‘the great survivors’ of the ancient world. And if this summer you are wondering how to take revenge Clarissa Farr on the person who pinches your towel while you are Chair, British Museum Friends Advisory Council With thanks to our contributors Mary Beard Hartwig Fischer Michael Lewis John Taylor Professor of Classics at the Director, the British Museum Head of Portable Antiquities Curator: Egypt and Sudan University of Cambridge and Kate Fulcher and Treasure Stuart Vyse British Museum Trustee Scientifc researcher Andrew Robinson Psychologist and specialist Pamela Cross Clive Gamble Member of the British Museum in superstitious belief Member of the British Museum Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, Advisory Council Hilary Williams Advisory Council University of Southampton and St John Simpson Education Offcer: Art History Christopher Date former Chair of British Museum Curator: Middle East Greg Woolf Honorary Research Associate, Friends Advisory Council Michael Tame Director, Institute of Classical Powell Cotton Museum Lachlan Goudie Former Website and Collection Studies, School of Advanced Artist online Programme Manager Study British Museum Magazine Autumn 2020 3 The panellists in a discussion on the ‘Era of Reclamation’, 10 January 2020. From left to right: Olivette Otele, Professor of the History of Slavery, Bristol University and Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society; Bonnie Greer, writer, playwright and former Deputy Chair of the British Museum Trustees; Dr Miranda Lowe, Curator at the Natural History Museum and founding member of Museum Detox; Dr Valika Smeulders, Head of History at the Rikjsmuseum. (Photograph: Benedict Johnson.) Black Lives Matter The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis listening to conversations such as those at last richness and ambiguity, and thus to inform is shocking. The subsequent protests, the year’s National Programme conference held and contribute to the current debate. Shortly explosion of pain, indignation and rage in at the Museum, which explored equality and before lockdown, the Museum started a America and across the world, have brought diversity in UK museums. We will broaden series of public discussions on the ‘Era of home how deep the experience of racism is the diversity of voices present in the Reclamation’, led by former Deputy Chair for so many in our societies. The British interpretation of objects in the collection, we of the Museum’s Trustees, Bonnie Greer. As Museum stands in solidarity with the British will explore new forms of curation and Bonnie remarks in a blog she published to Black community, with the African American further improve accessibility of the Museum accompany the series: ‘Here, inside the British community, with Black communities and its many ofers. We will continue to Museum, a theatre of human connection, throughout the world. We stand with research, acknowledge and address the reclamation can fnd the seeds that can begin everyone who is denied equal rights and colonial history of Britain and its impact on the process of an even deeper, more profound protection from violence and discrimination our institution in exhibitions like the recent engagement. We need now to see and know in the fullest sense of these terms. These are Collecting Histories and Reimagining Captain that we are the same species, with the same challenges that we as a society must address, Cook: Pacifc perspectives (supported by Stephen stories. And that we have always been in injustices that must be overcome. and Julie Fitzgerald), but also in specifcally search of what we ultimately are seeking to The events must sharpen our awareness of dedicated projects. And although it will take reclaim: ourselves.’ Bonnie has also written a how much more we, as a