The British Museum

Well, for those o f you who know Jonathan quite well, you can imagine his excitement when the BM asked him to design collections for this amazing once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Fascinated by Egyptian art, their use of colour and pattern, Jonathan could hardly wait to get started! But first, a little about the exhibition-The museum will present & explore ancient Egyptian beliefs about life after death & showcase the rich textural & visual material from the BM’s unparalleled collection of ‘Book of the Dead’ papyri. The ‘Book,’ used for over 500 years between c.1600BC & 100AD, is a compilation of spells thought to equip the dead with knowledge & power, which would guide them safely through the dangers of the hereafter & ultimately ensure eternal life.

The museum has one of the most comprehensive collections of ‘Book of the Dead’ manuscripts on papyrus including the ‘Greenfield papyrus,’ which at 37 metres, is the longest one in the world and has never been shown publicly in its entirety before. Also on display will be selected masterpieces from international collections, a dazzling array of painted coffins, gilded masks, amulets, jewellery & tomb figurines.

Our designs are inspired by & incorporate images from these amazing artefacts and these are the very first ‘trials’ to be seen. We have used silver pad cameo, silver iridised cameo and cased silver gräal to create these stunning designs! In the autumn newsletter, we will supply full details of the designs available to order.

Aztec Perfume Flasks.

Turquoise cased core colour with contrasting scarlet trailed decoration & layers of 24ct gold leaf. Corral red cased core colour with contrasting turquoise trailed decoration & layers of 24ct gold leaf.

Tezcatlipoca Flask.

The God of warriors & God of the night sky. Aquamarine core with opaque indigo purple iridescent surface hand carved cameo.

Feathered Serpent.

A prominent diety found across various cultures from Aztec to Mixtec & Miya.Scarlet core with turquoise & silver leaf blue iridescent surface hand carved cameo.