ALT A soft sketch in brown ink. A seated Virgin Mary shown in three-quarter length profile smiles down at the baby Jesus on her lap. The Christ Child has his arms tightly wrapped around the body of a cat, who tries to twist away from the embrace.

ALT A drawing of five small chicks on a green background.

ALT A volunteer guide standing in front of three sarcophagi in the burial assemblage of Henutmehyt, located in the Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies gallery.

ALT A volunteer guide pointing at the Sophilos Dinos, depicting the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, located in the Greece 1050–520 BC gallery.

ALT A volunteer guide standing in front of a relief depicting King Ashurnasirpal II, located in the Assyria: Nimrud gallery.

ALT A volunteer guide showing to visitors a plaque depicting the Queen of the Night in the Mesopotamia 6000–1500 BC gallery.

ALT Black-and-white image of Dr Nicholas Cullinan seated, wearing a suit, looking directly at the camera.

ALT Two children spinning the wheel of misfortune, part of our interactive station.

ALT A small child about to try on a Roman soldier’s model helmet with a reproduction scutum shield in the background.

ALT A family of three (a mother and two small children) admiring a poster about marching in the Roman army. The mother is pointing to some text on the right of the poster. To the left is a cartoon of Rattus the rat dressed as a Roman legionary, standing in the rain with a speech bubble saying, ‘Join the army they said. It’ll be fun they said.’

ALT A small child smiling and putting his hand into a mystery box, part of our interactive station.

ALT An ornate ostrich egg-shell mounted in silver on a stand, with a cover. Its body is held by four vertical bands with formal scrollwork. The stem represents a spiral tree-trunk design entwined by vines with a lizard, squirrel and enamelled tortoise.

ALT Close-up of the stem of an ostrich egg-shell mounted in silver on a stand. The stem represents a spiral tree-trunk design entwined by vines with a lizard, squirrel and enamelled tortoise.

ALT The front exterior of the British Museum colonnades and East Residence, with grey skies overhead, and a rainbow.

ALT Alt text: A cosmetic spoon in the form of a duck, which turns her head to offer a fish to the two ducklings which ride on her back. The closed wings form the lid of the spoon and swivel to either side so that the bowl hollowed from the bird's body might be used to receive a scented fat or oil.

ALT A colour portrait of Ada Lovelace. Lovelace is shown in profile, with her head turned towards the viewer. Her face is framed curls, and her hair is swept back with flowers and ribbon. She wears a dress and shawl, and her gloved hands gently hold a closed fan.