Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Painted wooden Victorian trenchers, highly decorated in gold, red, green, blue and many more colours

After the food was eaten the trenchers were turned over to reveal the painted decoration and verses which would have been read aloud as entertainment.
 
🍽️ Elizabethan painted wooden trenchers, England, c. 1595–1600. Boards 10.5 x 13.5 cm. Painted wood. AN2009.6.13

Painted wooden Victorian trenchers, highly decorated in gold, red, green, blue and many more colours

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 7: Decorated Elizabethan Trenchers
 
These decorated wooden trenchers, made around 1600, would have been used as dining plates at banquets on special occasions. Placed face down on a table they would have held sugared fruits, marzipan or other sugary delicacies.

A detail from a 15th-century oil painting of the Icon of St Nicholas. With the figure of St Nicholas wearing robes and an icon of the Virgin Mary in the corner

This icon was produced using oil paint directly onto a wooden panel and it measures 63.5cm height and 45 cm wide.

🖼️ Icon of St Nicholas, 15th–16th-century, anonymous artist. Oil on panel, 63.5 x 45 cm. WA1982.193

A detail from a 15th-century oil painting of the Icon of St Nicholas. With the figure of St Nicholas wearing robes and an icon of John the Baptist in the corner

He holds a codex, an ancient manuscript bound in the form of a book. In the corners above St Nicholas, images of John the Baptist, his name inscribed in Greek on his halo, and Virgin Mary can be seen.

A 15th-century oil painting of the Icon of St Nicholas. With the figure of St Nicholas in the centre wearing robes and two icons in the corners of John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 6: St Nicholas

Today marks St Nicholas Day.

St. Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Christian bishop known for his kindness and generosity.

In this icon dating back to the 15th century, St Nicholas is shown as the Miracle Worker.

Five Egyptian gold hoop-shaped earrings with animal-heads.

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 5 – Five Gold Rings

These hooped earrings are richly decorated with wire, beads, and animal-heads (bull, wild goat, and ram).

These earrings were from one of two exceptional hoards discovered in 1905 at Tukh el-Qaramus.

🟡 Late 4th – early 3rd century BCE, AN1926.99–104

A silver Roman coin with the profile of Polemon I

The text surrounding the star identifies the coin as having been issued between 37–8 BCE by Polemon I, who is depicted on the front.

Silver coin of Polemon I, Kingdom of Pontus, c.37–8 BCE. HCR9474

A silver Roman coin with an eight-pointed star featured in the centre

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 4: Roman Star Coin

Prominent on the reverse of this rare silver coin from the Kingdom of Pontus, located in the Black Sea region of modern Turkey, is a large eight-pointed star.

THIS IS WHAT YOU GET EXHIBITION A major retrospective exhibition exploring the visual art of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke and the iconic images of Radiohead. Open until 18 Jan 2026.

🎧 Unlock the magic of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke's artistic collaborations for Radiohead's stellar music career with the exhibition audio guide, narrated by Adam Buxton. Book your tickets: www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/t...

Adam Buxton speaking to Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC 6 Music about This Is What You Get and the exhibition audio guide.

A Roman brooch in the form of a stag looking backwards. In the centre of the body are aged pieces of coloured enamel.

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 2: A Bronze Stag 🦌

This Roman bronze brooch in the shape of a stag would have been used to fasten a shawl or cloak.

This brooch was once decorated with bright multi-coloured enamel which was very popular in Britain and France during the Roman period.

🦌 AN1927.418

A Japanese woodblock print of a Japanese village in snow. The village is by a river and has a lot of trees and some traditional buildings.

This print is from Kuniyoshi's series of Famous Places in Edo (modern Tokyo). The temple sits across a lake with snow-laden trees on the right. Small figures in front of the temple hold umbrellas against the snow.

🏔️ EAX.4197

A Japanese woodblock print of a Japanese village in snow. The village is by a river and has a lot of trees and some traditional buildings.

#AshmoleanAdvent Day 1: Snow at Kinryūzan Temple

Our Ashmolean Advent Calendar is here! Check back each day until Christmas for a new seasonal treat from our collections.

The first festive treat from the collection is Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s View of Snow on Benten Hill at Kinryūzan Temple in Asakusa.

A round Ancient Greek gold coin with irregular edges, in the centre is a figure of an eagle standing on a rock and some Greek lettering

The fresh water crab represents the river Akragas, from which the city of the same name derived much of its wealth.

🦀 Ancient Greek Coin, 433–400 BCE. Struck gold, 12mm diameter. HCR42158.

A round Ancient Greek gold coin with irregular edges, in the centre is a figure of a crab and some Greek lettering

This wonderful Ancient Greek gold coin dates from late 5th-century BCE.

It was issued by the city of Akragas, today’s Agrigento, in Sicily.

The coin features a crab on the reverse, and an eagle standing on a rock, devouring a snake.These symbols were common designs on the coinage of Akragas.

An ancient terracotta dice

This terracotta die comes from the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro, one of the first urban centres in human history 🎲⠀
⠀
Gaming with dice has been a popular pastime in India for millennia, with this object dating back to 2500–1900 BCE.

🎲 Terracotta Die, 2500–1900 BCE. 2 x 2 x 2 cm. EAMd.25

A photograph of a child taking part in a craft activity

A photograph of a visitor taking a photo of an artwork

A father and son walking through a gallery

Thank YOU! Whether you’ve visited the Museum, become an Ashmolean Member, followed along here or donated to our Appeal - however you've supported us, we want to say thank you for allowing us to continue sharing human stories across culture and across time.

🎉 1 million visitors!

We are absolutely thrilled to have welcomed over 1 million visitors through our doors this year.

A vibrant study of a kingfisher

A closer up showing the tail feather of the kingfisher

A closer up showing the bird's face and beak

Take a closer look at the original artwork that inspired today's animation by Alex Mitchell.

John Ruskin created this vibrant study of a Kingfisher in 1871.

Ruskin believed that the colours of the natural world could inspire and guide artists who should replicate them as truthfully as possible.

Have you ever seen a Kingfisher?

Alex Mitchell brings John Ruskin's Study of a Kingfisher to life in this beautiful animation.

💙 Study of a Kingfisher, John Ruskin (1819 - 1900), 1871. WA.RS.RUD.201

A painting of a ballet dancer sat in a chair, she is wearing a tutu and the view behind her is dark blue and green loose strokes.

This beautiful painting on a seated dancer is by French Impressionist painter Jean-Louis Forain.

Born in Reims, France in 1852, Forain began his career as a caricaturist for a number of Paris journals, eventually enrolling in the École des Beaux Arts.

🖼️ Seated Dancer, 1918–1920. WA1987.17

"It is a tremendous honour to have won this prestigious award and hugely gratifying for the Ashmolean team and our many supporters who helped bring this remarkable painting into a public collection." - Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean Museum

A round Iron Age silver coin with a geometric design in the centre

It was common for Iron Age coins in Britain to reference natural elements, and they often depicted plants and animals. How a coin such as this one would have been used is debated. It may have been used for trading purposes – perhaps it was used to buy a horse itself!

🐴 HCR121176

A round Iron Age silver coin with a stylised horse figure in the centre

What animal design would you put on a coin?

This coin is a silver 'unit' from Iron Age East Anglia, c.10–45 CE.

On one side is a horse with the letters 'CEN' below, which is part of the full legend: 'ECEN'. We do not know who ECEN was – some believe it was the name of a ruler or a wealthy person.

THIS IS WHAT YOU GET EXHIBITION Showcasing the visual art of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke and the iconic images of Radiohead, this major retrospective opens in 2025.

Seeing the band live, rediscovering your playlists, or new to their music tracks? This exhibition is your perfect accompaniment to exploring the music and visual world of Stanley Donwood, Radiohead and Thom Yorke.

This Is What You Get is open until 11 January: www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/t...

Where music and art come together 🤝

This Is What You Get offers a closer look at the creative forces behind some of the most important and influential music of the past few decades.

OXFORD CROWN The presence of King Charles I in Oxford in 1642–6, during the English Civil War, is preserved in this remarkable coin, known as the Oxford Crown.

See this historic coin brought to life by Dominic Althoefer in our post earlier today.

Learn more: www.ashmolean.org/oxford-crown

🪙 Oxford Crown, 1644. Silver. HCR6571

King Charles I riding over a view of the city with 'OXON' between the horses legs

The reverse of the coin - showing floral scrolls above and below Declaration, date in script, 1644 OXON

Take a closer look at the Oxford Crown.

If you know Oxford, you'll be able to make out the cityscape set behind King Charles I. The reverse dates the coin to 1644 and advertises Charles’s aims in the Civil war: to uphold the Protestant religion, the laws of England and the freedom of Parliament.

You can learn more about this historic object on our website or see it for yourself in our Money Gallery: www.ashmolean.org/oxford-crown

Today we’re sharing this remarkable coin as you’ve never seen it before, brought to life by talented animator Dominic Althoefer.

Known as the Oxford Crown, this coin shows King Charles I in front of the city of Oxford. It marks his presence in Oxford between 1642–6, during the English Civil War.