The Ashmolean Museum is a museum of art and archaeology in Oxford, England. It is the world’s first university museum, and the oldest public museum in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean houses a collection of over 1 million objects, ranging from ancient Egyptian mummies to modern art.
History
The Ashmolean Museum was founded in 1683 by Elias Ashmole, a collector and antiquary. He donated his collection of books, coins, and curiosities to the University of Oxford, and the Ashmolean was opened to the public in 1683.
Since then, the museum has grown to include over 1 million objects from all over the world, ranging from ancient Egyptian mummies to modern art. It is one of the most visited museums in the UK, attracting over 1.5 million visitors a year.
Collections
The Ashmolean’s collections are divided into four main areas:
- Ancient Art – including Egyptian mummies, Roman coins, and Greek and Roman sculpture.
- Medieval and Renaissance Art – including illuminated manuscripts, paintings, and metalwork.
- Modern Art – including works by Turner, Constable, and Picasso.
- Decorative Arts – including ceramics, furniture, and textiles.
Highlights
The Ashmolean’s collections contain many highlights, including:
- The Rosetta Stone – an inscribed stone slab which helped scholars to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
- The Alfred Jewel – an Anglo-Saxon gold and enamel pendant, thought to have belonged to King Alfred the Great.
- The Merton Dice – an ancient Roman dice game, discovered in a field near Merton College.
- The Raphael Cartoons – a set of ten cartoons used as designs for tapestries in the Sistine Chapel.
Visiting the Museum
The Ashmolean is open to the public and admission is free. The museum is open seven days a week, and there are regular guided tours, talks, and workshops.
The museum also hosts a variety of events and exhibitions throughout the year, and there is a cafe and shop on-site.
For more information, visit the Ashmolean’s website here.