Priceless 2,500-year-old golden helmet returned to Romania after Dutch museum raid A 2,500-year-old golden helmet stolen last year from a Dutch museum where it was on loan has been returned to Romania.

Priceless 2,500-year-old golden helmet returned to Romania after Dutch museum raid
apnews.com/article/roma...

The 'becoming Chinese' meme shows China's soft power moment is here Young Western social media users are embracing a “very Chinese time” of their lives, and China’s government is keen to use this moment to boost the country’s cultural influence worldwide.

The 'becoming Chinese' meme shows China's soft power moment is here
apnews.com/article/chin...

Front cover of a book - the image in the top half appears to be an embroidery of 6 human figures in an outdoor scene at night, with trees.

I am happy that this book is now published (in the series Connected Histories in the Early Modern World)!

Performing India in Early Modern England 1575-1642
Commerce, Spectacle, and the Formation of the East India Company
By Amrita Sen

www.routledge.com/Performing-I...

Hungary election live: Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in Hungarian election after 16 years in power Long-serving prime minister beaten by opposition after early results showed clear lead

Orban concedes defeat. The support of Trump, Vance, Putin, Lavrov, Weidel, Milei, Le Pen, Fico, Babis and many others could not overcome Hungarian anger at a stagnant, corrupt regime

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

A carved gold ojime bead depicting intricate flowers and leaves

A carved gold ojime bead depicting intricate flowers and leaves

This tiny object measures just 1.6cm across!

In honour of spring finally springing, we are sharing this beautiful carved gold ojime decorated with flowers.

An ojime is a traditional Japanese bead used as a fastener for inrō , the small tiered containers worn on a kimono.

🌸 EA1956.3792

Journal of Mughal Studies This journal's first issue is coming soon.

Happy Friday to all, but especially to the new Journal of Mughal Studies.

500 years after the empire dawned... first issue coming soon.

escholarship.org/uc/journalof... #Mughals #India #history #scholarship #highered

How an ancient resin traded for centuries got snarled up by the Iran war It's not just energy supplies that have been disrupted by the Iran war. It's also hitting frankincense, a commodity that's been defining trade routes in the Middle East for thousands of years.

It's not just energy supplies that have been disrupted by the Iran war. It's also hitting frankincense, a commodity that's been defining trade routes in the Middle East for thousands of years. n.pr/48BOm7s

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts is gone “Stay curious,” the CIA advised in its “fond farewell” to the Factbook.

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts is gone

Inside small-town India’s Reel economy. Lights, camera, unemployment Most content creators in Tulsi have logged off, returning to farms, factories, or unemployment. Falling views, internal rifts, and an inability to adapt to short-form video led to the collapse.

"Villagers who once acted in videos have returned to fields and daily wage work. What was once a digital gold rush has thinned into memory."

An anglo saxon pendant in the shape of a cross. It is gold with intricately cut garnets inlaid.

This Anglo-Saxon pendant is covered in garnets. It was decorated using a method called cloisonné work which involves making a lattice of gold and filling the holes with gemstone which precisely cut to the size of the hole.

Now available from @reaktionbooks.bsky.social
reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/sons-of...
Here I've tried to give an account in English of the Ming ruling house as a family enterprise (and not forgetting imperial aunties)

A priceless Romanian helmet is recovered after thieves broke in with a homemade bomb and sledgehammer There were fears the helmet may have been melted down because its fame and dramatic studded appearance made it virtually unsellable.

A priceless ancient golden helmet from Romania stolen last year from a museum in the Netherlands has been recovered, Dutch authorities announced Thursday. https://to.pbs.org/4sRgRGB

Raja Ravi Varma’s ‘Yashoda & Krishna’ Fetches Over ₹167 Crore at Auction; Acquired by Global Vaccine Tycoon Cyrus Poonawalla 2 April  2026 (Navroze Bureau) :   In a landmark moment for Indian art, a celebrated painting by Raja Ravi Varma has been sold for over ₹167 crore, setting a new benchmark in the country’s art market. The artwork, titled “Yashoda & Krishna,” was acquired by renowned industrialist and vaccine magnate Cyrus Poonawalla, further highlighting the growing global interest in Indian cultural heritage.

Raja Ravi Varma’s ‘Yashoda & Krishna’ Fetches Over ₹167 Crore at Auction; Acquired by Global Vaccine Tycoon Cyrus Poonawalla

2 April  2026 (Navroze Bureau) :   In a landmark moment for Indian art, a celebrated painting by Raja Ravi Varma has been sold for over ₹167 crore, setting a new benchmark…

Published today OA in @routledgehistory.bsky.social 'Maritime Humanities, 1400-1800: Cultures of the Sea' book series:
www.routledge.com/Material-Cul...
Many congratulations to the editors! ⚓⚓⚓

Wall text describing the

The splendid “Vishnu reclining on the serpent ananta” at the National Museum of Asia Art, Smithsonian #India #Art #Beauty (Check out the jewelry.)

Two views of an Ottoman-era silver jewelry box with a carnelian (agate) lid, decorated with a silver trellis and inset with multi-colored gemstones and pearls.

🏛️ An Ottoman Metal Box Adorned with Colorful Gemstones, Late 19th Century

'One of the most famous rooms in England’, lovingly built by the leading Victorian artist Frederic Leighton A newly opened exhibition at Leighton House, London, charts the Arab Hall’s development and explores its enduring influence, writes Carla Passino.

'One of the most famous rooms in England’, lovingly built by the leading Victorian artist Frederic Leighton www.countrylife.co.uk/directory/ar...

🧵 Ottoman Women's Embroidery from Ankara, Peşkir (Towel), Late 19th Century

🧵 Ottoman Women's Embroidery from Ödemiş, Uçkur (Decorative Belt), Late 19th Century

🧵 Ottoman Women's Embroidery from Aydın, Uçkur (Decorative Belt), Late 19th Century

🧵 Ottoman Women's Embroidery from Akşehir, Peşkir (Towel), Late 19th Century

🧵 Ottoman Women's Embroideries from Anatolia (Ankara, Ödemiş, Aydın, Akşehir), Peşkir (Towel) and Uçkur (Decorative Belt), Late 19th Century

Bait review – Riz Ahmed’s comedy is petty, narcissistic … and excellent Part autobiography, part industry satire, this hilarious show boasts dazzling dialogue and ace cameos. But surely Ahmed has better things to do than play James Bond?

share.google/fvDASDtgP7i5...

👀 Exciting! Looking forward to following this project.

In search of Banksy, Reuters found the artist took on a new identity Anonymity has become part of a lucrative brand for the artist Banksy, but records we unearthed prove his true identity and show the new name he used to travel to Ukraine.

www.reuters.com/investigates...

In Our Time - Dadaism - BBC Sounds How, in 1916 in Zurich, artists responded to the absurdity of war by creating absurd art.

For BBC Sounds listeners here’s today’s edition on the spirit of Dadaism from the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich in 1916 down to Philomena Cunk www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Who was Archibald Knox and what inspired his designs? The largest ever exhibition of work by the renowned Art Nouveau designer closes on Sunday.

www.bbc.com/news/article...
#DecorativeArts #Liberty #Design

Are the US and Israel waging war on Iran’s cultural heritage?

Are the US and Israel waging war on Iran’s cultural heritage? https://aje.news/xnrhaz

A white marble table leg in the form of a lion head and descending into a claw as the foot. The view is from above and since there is no table top the inscription of P. Casca Long can be seen engraved into the table top support.

View across an atrium of the so-called House of Casca Longus (he never lived here!). To the left a blue painted wall. In the centre-right an impluvium basin with a circular ceramic cistern head nearest to us on one side. On the far side the white marble tripod table support.

One of the most remarkable objects in #Pompeii is a marble table support with P. Casca Longus inscribed on it. Longus was the 1st assassin to stab Julius Caesar on #IdesOfMarch (today in 44 BC). On his death Longus’ possessions were auctioned & this table was bought by a Pompeian

Snuffboxes stolen in Paris daylight robbery to go on display at V&A The snuffboxes, made in 18th-century Berlin, come from the Gilbert Collection, and will go on display in a new gallery space at the V&A in South Kensington

www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/03/11/s... #DecorativeArts

Photograph of Habermas (bust), wearing brown jacket, tie, white shirt and white hair, with a glass of water in front of him.

Jürgen Habermas (18 June 1929 – 14 March 2026).

In photos: Tracing India's history through vintage chairs An exhibition in Mumbai displayed chairs that told the history of colonial invasions and art movements in India.

www.bbc.com/news/article... #materialculture

How Much Did It Cost to Paint a Pompeii Room Egyptian Blue? The price of covering a room in the prized pigment was equal to between 50% and 90% of a Roman legionary's annual salary, a new study estimates.

My latest for @hyperallergic.com is on Egyptian Blue—& a new study by Mishael Quraishi which prices out the Roman cost & manual labor needed to paint the “Blue Room” at Pompeii. Shout outs & thx: @hilarybeckertxny.bsky.social , @diffendale.bsky.social , @chapps.bsky.social, @valentinadl.bsky.social!

Join us on 26 March for a special talk celebrating Dr Melanie Gibson’s new book on Sir Frederic Leighton, the celebrated Victorian artist and former President of the Royal Academy.
Details: tinyurl.com/ras-260326