by Natalie Bennett

It’s an old journalist standby that’s transferred seamlessly over into an internet age – a cute animal picture is guaranteed to sell newspapers, or a cat playing a game came bring internet browsers in their millions.

At a brief stop today in the British Museum with the ancient Greeks of Asia Minor and the eastern Med, I found the same rule applied then. The simple but expressive and lively pots of the “Wild goat style” of pottery of the 7th and early 6th century are the kind of captivating little treasures – not the famous or standout items but well worth attention – that at the British Museum are so often overlooked.

Credit for inspiration is given to Anatolian and Near Eastern fabrics and metalwork.

There were also some lovely little marbles from Lydia in modern Turkey, dated 550-530BC, and possibly linked to King Croesus (of the “as rich as” fame) in nearby Sardis.

I do love being able to make brief BM visits… very lucky to live nearby!