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The Discobolus or discus-thrower is a marvellous classical piece of sculpture that over time has come to mean different things to different people. It is originally cast in bronze by the fifth-century BC sculptor Myron. This book tells the story of Myron's Discobolus both as an archaeological artefact and bearer of meaning.

"The Great Wave" is a colour woodblock print designed by Japanese artist Hokusai in around 1830. This book explores the meaning behind "Hokusai's Great Wave", in the context of "the Mount Fuji" series and Japanese art as a whole.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs of the statue and contextual images, and including archival material relating to the British Museum's acquisition, this book tells the story of this magnificent artefact, discussing alongside the draw of colossal Egyptian sculpture, the history of the reign of Ramesses II and the nature of the statue's acquisition.

The Rosetta Stone contains a decree written three times in Greek, Demotic and hieroglyphic that provided the key to the mysterious hieroglyphic script of ancient Egypt, and opened up 3,000 years of that country's history and culture.

Made from Bronze with eyes inlaid with glass pupils set in metal rings, the 'Meroe Head' is a magnificent portrait of Julius Caesar's great nephew and adopted heir Augustus (63 BC-AD 14).

For 400 years the Lacock Cup had been used as a chalice at a Wiltshire church. But it was once the centrepiece of the high table of a rich local nobleman.

The Lewis chessmen were found under mysterious circumstances on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in 1831.

The Portland Vase was probably made during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). A work of outstanding technical skill, it is apparently decorated with scenes of love and marriage, the precise meaning of which has been the cause of much debate and interpretation.

This book explores the meaning and history of this fascinating object, and tells the tale of its remarkable survival and eventual passage to the British Museum.

The whalebone box known as the Franks Casket has intrigued and puzzled viewers since its rediscovery in the nineteenth century. Made in northern England in the eighth century AD, the sides and lids of the rectangular casket carry some of the richest and most intricate carvings known from Anglo-Saxon times. The lively scenes depicted are drawn from a variety of sources, including Germanic and Roman legends and Jewish and Christian stories. They are accompanied by texts in both Old English and Latin, written in both the runic and Roman alphabets. At some point in its mysterious history the casket was dismantled. One of the end panels is in the Bargello in Florence; the rest of the box is in the British Museum, with the missing piece represented by a cast. This book explores the meaning, function and history of this extraordinary icon of Anglo-Saxon culture, describing and explaining the significance of the stories depicted in its magnificent carvings.

The Standard of Ur is one of the most famous objects to be discovered from ancient Mesopotamia. It was un earthed in a tomb in 1927 by Leonard Woolley during his archaeological excavations of the `Royal Cemetery' of Ur located in present - day Iraq.

Discovered in Suffolk in 1942, the Mildenhall Treasure is one of the most important collections of Late Roman silver tableware from the Roman Empire.

A new title in the British Museum¿s Object in Focus series, concentrating on a fascinating mammoth ivory model depicting a Siberian summer festival.