Tour the exhibits of this incredible museum from the comfort of your armchair.
The British Museum has made over half of its extensive collection — more than four million objects - viewable online for free during lockdown.
The revamp of the online collection includes a zooming facility that allows some objects to be examined at 'a level of detail inaccessible to the naked eye.' This includes Hoa Hakananai'a, a moai - or statue - from Easter Island. Also viewable at digital 'close quarters' is a 1,600-year-old Chinese narrative painting on a silk scroll - with more zoomable images to be added in the coming weeks.
The online collection - first made available in 2007 - already included the museum's most famous objects, such as the Rosetta Stone, the artefacts of Sutton Hoo, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Elgin Marbles and the Benin Bronzes. The list is almost endless!
In total, the revamp includes around 280,000 new object photographs and 85,000 new records have been added to the online collection, with the timing of the re-launch having been brought forward to let the public enjoy the museum in spite of the lockdown. Enjoy!
More virtual experiences: