Luxury and power

"Luxuriously illustrated... Luxury and Power challenges the Western narrative that presents Persian rulers as opulent despots and instead invokes archaeology, architecture, and literature to demonstrate that the Greeks both appreciated and adapted Persian modes of luxury and power into their own repertoire." ~Asian Review of Books

"A beautiful hardback book… A sense of flexibility and fluidity runs through much of the material in the exhibition." ~Minerva, May/June 2023

"Shaping up to be one of the British Museum's most crowd-pleasing exhibitions in many years, Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece is the story of exquisitely-crafted works in gold, silver and glass..." ~Radio 3 (BBC)

"The measure of luxury is subjective, a point illustrated beautifully by The British Museum in this fascinating collection of objects dating from 550 to 30 BC." ~Harrods Magazine

"...we should rethink the old stereotypes of the ancient Persian empire: namely, the story we get from Athenian writers that the Persians were not only their occasional enemies, but also pretty vile and wedded to a particularly extreme form of effete, “orientalizing” luxury." ~Mary Beard

“The exhibition moves beyond ancient Greek spin to delve into a more complex story of luxury and power in ancient Iran, Athens, and the world of Alexander. Drawing on exquisite objects from Afghanistan to Italy, it explores how the royal Persian court used objects of exquisite luxury as markers of authority, defining a distinct style that was copied by different social classes throughout the empire. Early democratic Athens rejected Persian culture as decadent yet adopted luxury in intriguing ways. Alexander then swept aside the Persian empire and ushered in a new age in which eastern and western styles of luxury were fused. […] [T]hese treasures are outstanding examples of ancient metalworking and demonstrate the influence of Persian and Greek luxury across the Balkans.” ~This is London

"This stunning exhibition explores how luxuries were used as markers of authority, and how they influenced different social classes in ancient times." ~iNews

"This dazzling British Museum exhibition tells how Persian bling merged with Western tastes, after Alexander the Great defeated the Persians." ~Londonist

"Drawing on dazzling objects from Afghanistan to Greece, this exhibition moves beyond the ancient Greek spin to explore a more complex story about luxury as a political tool in the Middle East and southeast Europe from 550–30 BC." ~Art Discount

"Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece, the British Museum's stunning new exhibition, spans ancient Iran, Athens and the reign of Alexander the Great." ~Sphere Magazine

"This glittering exhibition illustrates how the Greeks stole elements of Persian style for their own works of art and artifice. Among the highlights of this hoard are a golden diadem of oak leaves, cicadas and a single see-if-you-can-spot-it bee and the exquisitely decorated gold vessels of the Panagyurishte Treasure hoard on loan from Sofia. Thou shalt covet it all." ~The Times