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This spectacular 5th-century BC frieze from the Parthenon was made under Pericles and shows a procession in honour of the goddess Athena. It was obtained in 1779 by Lord Elgin, Ambassador to Constantinople.

Cats and sacred cows were mummified in Ancient Egypt. This cat comes from Abydos and dates from around 30 BC. Many Egyptian deities took on animal shapes, as seen on wall paintings and other artifacts.

Decorated with shells and gold leaf, this priceless ornament comes from Ur in Sumer, one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Games and musical instruments are also displayed.

Some of the greatest early English treasures are 34 silver plates from the 4th century, found at Mildenhall in Suffolk. Their lively decorations include sea nymphs, satyrs and Hercules.

In 196 BC Egyptian priests wrote a decree on this tablet in both Greek and in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Found in 1799, it proved crucial in deciphering Egyptian pictorial writing.

Sold by Britain’s ambassador to Naples, Sir William Hamilton, to the Duchess of Portland, this exquisite 1st-century blue-and-opaque glass vase comes from a tomb in Rome, and was probably made by a Greek craftsman.

This is all that remains of the colossal granite statue of Rameses II (c1275 BC) from his memorial temple at Thebes. The statue was acquired in the late 18th century by Charles Townley, British ambassador to Rome.

Made by Mixtec artisans for the Aztec royal court in Mexico, this mosaic mask is believed to be of the god Quetzalcoatl, and dates from the 15th century.

The large, carved and painted wood thunderbird from North America was used as an anvil for breaking coppers(a form of currency) atpotlatches(ceremonies of Pacific Coast peoples in which chiefs destroyed their worldly goods).

This impressive stoneware Buddha dates from around AD 585, during the Chinese Sui Dynasty, when Buddhism became the state religion.