I object - Ian Hislop's search for dissent

As I was planning a trip to London, I decided to go up slightly early and visit the exhibition at the British Museum, I Object - Ian Hislop's Search for Dissent. (I have every Intention of seeing their Ashurbanipal exhibit, but I'd booked this in advance, and did not have time for both in one day) 

The Great Court of the British Museum,  

 I always enjoy visiting the museum, especially the Great Court, which looked particularly lovely due to the blue sky and sunshine.

The exhibition itself (held in the reading room) is small, and it's a personal selection made by Hislop.  As such, it's perhaps not as structured as some exhibitions, but it is nevertheless interesting.


There are some very early exhibits. For instance, graffiti and frivolous paintings from ancient Egypt, 

Ancient Egyptian painting

There are some survivors of dissent, such as this  head of Christ, created in around 1130, which survived the Reformation and destruction of idols, as it was buried in the church, at some time during the 16th Century.

12th C. Head of Christ

There were, perhaps inevitably, lots of political cartoons, and commentary. This 'bank note' was created by the caricaturist, George Cruikshank, in 1819, after witnessing 2 people hanged for  forging bank notes. 

There were plenty of more modern items, too, from a 'pussy hat' ,  'war rugs' (woven in Afghanistan in the 1970s and 80s, incorporating patterns of soviet tanks and helicopters in the place of traditional motifs or images of mythical creatures),  to a pair of carved wooden gates, from Nigeria, carved by Yoruba people using traditional styles and images, but incorporating mockery of the British Colonial rulers of their country (something which was, apparently, not noticed by the rulers, as the gates were displayed at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.

There was a copy of the notorious 1616 'Wicked' Bible, in which a crucial 'not' is missed out from the 7th commandment, meaning that God is cited as telling Moses 'Thou shalt commit adultery'

The error is generally put down to a typesetting error, but in his note to the exhibit, Hislop speculates that it was perhaps a deliberate act of sabotage by a disgruntled  typesetter or rival printer.

And finally, there is the hoax perpetuated against the museum itself, in 25, when the artist, Banksy, added his art (with accompanying label ) to a wall in the museum, where it went un-noticed for several days.

It's an interesting way to spend some time.