Ancient India: living traditions

Now open

★★★★★ 'Spellbinding. Full of surprises and intrigue.' – The Standard

This 'dazzling' and 'thought-provoking' journey across 2,000 years of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sacred art 'should not be missed' (The Observer).

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Play button over image of curator holding Bimaran Casket.

The Human Buddha

Form and faith

Join Dr Sushma Jansari, Tabor Foundation Curator of South Asia Collections, for a closer look at an exhibition highlight – the earliest dateable image of the Buddha in human form.

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Hiroshige: artist of the open road

Now open

★★★★★ ‘Visions of serenity that completely banish the turmoil of the world’ – The Telegraph

Discover one of Japan’s most talented, prolific and popular artists.

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Supported by
Zemen Paulos and Jack Ryan

In The Plum Garden

Van Gogh meets Hiroshige

Discover how the latest scientific research is revealing the links between two of the 19th century's most iconic artists.

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General admission

Start planning your summer Museum visit and book your General Admission tickets today – now available through to September 2025.

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Prehistoric carving of a young reindeer on reindeer bone.

New touring exhibition

Ice Age Art Now

Explore astounding works by people living in Europe at the end of the last Ice Age and see the extraordinary skill of these early image-makers.

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From our friends

The Craft of Carpentry exhibition at Japan House London

Step into the serene world of Japanese carpentry in this free exhibition celebrating the craftmanship and tools behind Japan’s temples and shrines. Find out more.

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Images:

Inside Ancient India: living traditions.

Inside Hiroshige: artist of the open road.

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), The Plum Garden at Kameido from 100 Famous Views of Edo. Colour-woodblock print, 1857. Loan from the collection of Alan Medaugh. Photo © Alan Medaugh, photography by Matsuba Ryōko.

Schist statues of Ṛṣabhanātha (left) and Mahāvīra (right), India, AD 1000s–1200s.

The Great Court at the British Museum.

Carving of a young reindeer on reindeer bone, Dordogne, France, about 10000–8000 BC.

© 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum