Bronze figurehead of the goddess Isis (3rd century BC) © The Trustees of the British Museum © Peter Langdown
A British Museum Spotlight Loan, Ancient Sudan: enduring heritage, will bring rare objects from ancient Sudan to Scotland for the first time. The exhibition will run from 23 October 2025 to 22 February 2026 at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum.
With free entry, visitors of the museum will come face-to-face with the legacy of Sudan’s ancient Kingdom of Kush, an empire of extraordinary wealth, artistry and power that rivalled Rome and Egypt.
Ancient Sudan: enduring heritage examines the artistry of the Kushite world — from fine craftsmanship to distinctive religious practices — and highlights the significant role women played in their society. It also connects audiences with the living traditions of modern Sudan.
Director of The Stirling Smith, Caroline Mathers, said, “We are delighted to bring this exhibition to Stirling. These objects are not only beautiful in their craftsmanship, but powerful in the way they connect us with one of the world’s great empires. To see them here, in the only Scottish venue on the tour, is an extraordinary opportunity for our audiences.”
Situated between Central Africa and the Mediterranean, ancient Sudan was a meeting place for people, cultures and ideas. At its height, the Kingdom of Kush (8th century BC – 4th century AD) stretched from the Blue Nile to the Levant, making it one of the most extensive empires of its time. Its rulers included Taharqo, known both for his military campaigns against the Assyrians and his temple building across Sudan and Egypt, and Amanirenas, thought to be the queen who stood against Roman expansion.
Today, Sudan’s cultural heritage is at risk, threatened by ongoing war in the country which has displaced 12 to 14 million people. This exhibition acknowledges those challenges while emphasising the efforts of Sudanese communities to safeguard their heritage, and the depth of a culture that is not defined by present-day conflict.
The Curator for Sudan and Nubia at the British Museum, Dr Loretta Kilroe, said, “Sudan has a fascinating history and a rich cultural heritage that is often overlooked. With ongoing conflict in the region, it is vital that this heritage is protected. In collaboration with Sudanese communities, this exhibition will highlight ongoing protection and conservation efforts, as well as bringing Sudan’s fascinating history to life for new audiences.”
The exhibition features nine significant objects on loan from the British Museum, including a bronze figurehead of a goddess, a sandstone offering table inscribed in Meroitic script, and a painted grave jar adorned with Nile crocodiles — animals both feared and revered in Kushite culture. Together, they offer a glimpse into the artistic and spiritual life of a civilisation often overlooked in popular histories. The Stirling Smith is one of only two UK museums to host this Spotlight Loan, and the only Scottish venue on the tour.
As well as looking to the past, the exhibition also highlights present-day Sudanese community efforts to safeguard their heritage. This includes links to wider initiatives such as the Darfur Women’s Museum and Sudan Memory project. The exhibition also includes a display that features objects contributed by members of the Sudanese diaspora living in Scotland, such as clothing, embroidery, basketry and homewares.
Ancient Sudan at Portsmouth Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum © Peter Langdown
This Spotlight Loan includes nine items loaned from the British Museum, with highlights including:
• Bronze figurehead of a goddess (3rd century BC) Found in Kawa, Sudan, this striking object would have been fitted to the prow of a ceremonial boat that housed a statue of a god and was carried between temples. The figurehead may represent the goddess Isis and was commissioned by King Arnekhamani, a Kushite king who constructed temples in central Sudan.
• Sandstone offering table (AD 25–150) This carved offering table belonged to a person named Qenabelile and features a central depression into which liquids such as water were poured as libations to the dead. It features inscriptions in Meroitic, the indigenous written language of the later Kushite period, and depictions of the deities Nephthys and Anubis. The imagery takes inspiration from earlier Egyptian models but is used in a distinct Kushite fashion.
• Clay jar decorated with Nile crocodiles (AD 250–300) This wheel-made jar was placed in a grave next to a wealthy individual in a cemetery near the northern town of Faras. It was designed to hold liquid, perhaps water, but had been filled with straw to transform it into a symbolic grave offering. It is decorated with intricately painted crocodiles, an animal both feared and revered across Kush, where the river Nile was an essential part of daily life.
The British Museum is committed to sharing the collection and our knowledge as widely as possible to create a positive educational, social and economic impact across the UK. In 2024/25 the Museum lent nearly 2,000 objects to over 100 museums and galleries, reaching around eight million visitors outside of London. Their loans to partnership museums and galleries facilitate new perspectives on shared global histories, reflecting diverse viewpoints, lived experiences and collective ideas. The British Museum also manages the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in England, recording and sharing British archaeological discoveries to help shape our understanding of the past. Their National work is supported by the Dorset Foundation in memory of Harry M Weinrebe.
The British Museum launched the tour exhibition Ancient Sudan: enduring heritage in October 2024. This year, the tour exhibition is taking place at two venues from 1 February 2025 to 22 February 2026. It was at Portsmouth Museum from 1 Feb to 11 May 2025, and will be at Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum from 23 October to 22 February 2025.
For more information, visit britishmuseum.org.
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