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Ashmolean Museum

Half a million years of art and history

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WHAT'S ON
- EVENTS
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COLLECTIONS
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LEARN
SUPPORT
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TREASURES

A selection of the Ashmolean's most treasured objects, chosen by our curators

Material

Geography

Period

Department

A Forest Floor Still Life of Flowers – by Rachel Ruysch – WA1940.2.64

A FOREST FLOOR STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS

Rachel Ruysch (1664 - 1750)

The Alfred Jewel

ALFRED JEWEL

Made for the only English monarch known as 'the Great'

The Apotheosis of Germanicus (Gemma Tiberiana) by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (detail)

APOTHEOSIS OF GERMANICUS

A discovery in Paris brought to life

Arion riding on a Dolphin

ARION RIDING ON A DOLPHIN

This charming story was used by Ovid to mark the 3rd of February in the Roman calendar

Landscape with Ascanius shooting the Stag of Sylvia (detail) 1681-1682

ASCANIUS SHOOTING THE STAG OF SYLVIA

A poetic royal hunt leads to war

Astrological bowl, saucer and spoon (detail)

ASTROLOGICAL BOWL, SAUCER AND SPOON

Astrological decoration at the Persian court

Ballyshanon sun disc

BALLYSHANNON 'SUN DISC'

An early discovery of a prehistoric object

Camel, Tang Dynasty

CAMEL TOMB FIGURE

A spiritual object intended to protect the dead from evil

Samurai suit Iron, gilt iron, gilt soft metals, lacquer, gilt leather, doeskin, crystal, mother-of-pearl, silk, wood, and bear fur

CEREMONIAL SUIT OF ARMOUR FOR A SAMURAI

Armour intended for a period of peace

Coin of Emperor Jahanigir

COIN OF EMPEROR JAHANGIR

A gift for the Emperor’s followers

Convent Thoughts by Charles Allston Collins

CONVENT THOUGHTS

Charles Allston Collins (1828-1873)

Cycladic figure, 30cm, (detail)

CYCLADIC FIGURE

From Pre-history to Picasso

Ding Ware Dish

DING WARE DISH

One of the ‘Five Great Wares’

Dish with a composite head of penises by Francesco ‘Urbini’

DISH WITH A COMPOSITE HEAD OF PENISES

A Renaissance joke

Djed-djehuty-iuef-ankh mummy

DJED-DJEHUTY-IUEF-ANKH MUMMY

Journeying to an afterlife

Ennui by Walter Richard Sickert

ENNUI

Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942)

Lapis Lazuli Ewer wrapped in Gold

EWER

Carved from lapis lazuli and wrapped in gold

South Indian bronze sculpture depicting Hindu saint, Chandikeshvara.

FIGURE OF THE SAINT CHANDIKESHVARA

Wielding an axe with grace and elegance

Gilbert Cannan and his mill, Mark Gertler, 1916

GILBERT CANNAN AND HIS MILL

Mark Gertler (1891-1939)

The Great Bookcase, William Burges, 1856-62

GREAT BOOKCASE

Creating a medieval world that never was

Guy Fawkes Lantern, 17th Century

GUY FAWKES' LANTERN

Remember, remember the 5th of November

Hasta la Muerte (Until death) by Francisco Goya, 1799

HASTA LA MUERTE (UNTIL DEATH)

Francisco de Goya (1746–1828)

Blue enamelled glass oil lamp made between AD 1299-1340 in Egypt or Syria

ISLAMIC LAMP

The Light of the Heavens

Japanese Gunpowder flask with figures in Portugese dress

JAPANESE GUNPOWDER FLASK

Japanese gunpowder flask decorated with figures in Portuguese dress

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