Announcing the 'Ice Age Art Now' British Museum Partnership Exhibition

The exhibition will feature over 75 objects from the British Museum collection, many of which are rarely lent due to their great age and fragility. Highlights include:

• Flint point found at Volgu, Saône et Loire, France, 24,000 years old. This is a masterpiece of the stone tool maker's art. Thousands of quickly made, effective but mundane stone tools represent everyday tasks over long periods of deep history. Occasionally, as in this Volgu point, they also exhibit technical virtuosity and aesthetic quality which has nothing to do with functionality. 28 centimetres long, astonishingly thin and beautifully finished, this leaf-shaped point is one of sixteen found at Volgu, Saône et Loire, France. It reveals the ability and dexterity of the artisan, as well as the capacity to materialise and communicate ideas through the production of high-quality, non-functional objects.
• Engraved drawing of a horse on bone, found at Creswell Crags, Derbyshire, England, about 13,500 years old. This is the oldest known work of figurative art from England, and was found at Robin Hood Cave, Creswell Crags in Derbyshire. Drawn on a well prepared piece of rib bone, the horse had a series of vertical lines drawn through it, before being deleted by vehemently incised horizontal lines. The bone was then broken.
• Two reindeer drawn on bone, found at La Madeleine, Dordogne, France, about 13,500 years old. Originally part of a larger composition interrupted by an ancient break. The younger animal is perfectly proportioned and naturalistically drawn and shaded by engraving the lines with a stone tool. The bone was then coloured with red ochre still visible in the lines.
• Engraved bone pendant depicting a wolverine, found at Grotte des Eyzies, Dordogne, France, about 13,000–12,000 years old. This thin sliver of bone extracted from the surface of an animal shoulder blade and perforated for suspension as a pendant, frames an engraved drawing of a wolverine. Rarely depicted in Ice Age imagery, wolverines are shy but ferocious carnivores with magnificent, highly valued fur coats. This miniature masterpiece is a rare representation, remarkable in its accuracy and vivacity. The naturalism and quality of the shading achieved by use of a stone engraving tool is as fine as that achieved in the engraving of Goya's anteater by means of a metal burin in 1776.
• Maggi Hambling (b. 1945), Study for The Descent of the Bull's Head. Charcoal on paper, 1985. A study for the first of a series of bull paintings by Hambling, inspired by both bull fights and the legend of the Minotaur. By giving the bull multiple heads, the artist represents motion, a device also seen in Ice Age art.

Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the British Museum, said: 'I am keen for the British Museum to be a lending library for the world – so it is fantastic to be able to announce this new exhibition, as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture programme. Having grown up in West Yorkshire, the partnership with Bradford District Museums & Galleries is particularly meaningful to me – and I am thrilled we have the opportunity to present an exhibition that celebrates creativity from the Ice Age through to today. This exhibition will not only feature some of the rarest surviving examples of Ice Age art, but some of the oldest known works of art from the UK, demonstrating the social value of artistic expression throughout the ages.'

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: 'Drawing is our first means of creative expression, and this exhibition proves people have been doing this for millennia. For these incredible objects to be on display here in the north, in the stunning Cliffe Castle is a proud moment for the Bradford district and we're delighted to be part of this partnership with the British Museum and Bradford District Museums and Galleries.'

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: 'This collaboration emphasises our commitment to bringing world-class cultural experiences to people from across the Bradford district and beyond. We are most grateful to the Board of Trustees at the British Museum for the generous loan of these internationally significant artefacts and look forward to showcasing the rich history and diverse heritage that the British Museum collection offers. The family-friendly trail will give visitors the opportunity to explore the significant collections on display at our museum and help people to connect with the art of our Ice Age ancestors. The Ice Age Art Now exhibition will be one of the highlights of our cultural calendar during Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.'

Ice Age Art Now will run from 21 June – 14 September 2025 at Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley.

For more information, please visit the Ice Age Art Now exhibition webpage: britishmuseum.org/ice-age-art-now

Books
To coincide with the exhibition, a beautifully illustrated catalogue, Ice Age art now, written by Jill Cook, will be published by the British Museum Press in June 2025. Paperback, £14.99, ISBN 9780714123516.

The British Museum's National Strategy
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 2023/24 the Museum lent nearly 2,000 objects to over 100 museums and galleries, reaching around 8 million visitors outside of London. Our 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.

Our National Programmes work is supported by the Dorset Foundation in memory of Harry M Weinrebe.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
Bradford became the fourth UK City of Culture in January 2025. The district was selected by the UK Government in May 2022 from a record-breaking 20 bids, following Derry~Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021) to take on one of the most prestigious and transformative titles in UK culture. Bradford 2025 is delivered by Bradford Culture Company, a registered charity (1194599), led by Executive Director Dan Bates and Creative Director Shanaz Gulzar.

Bradford 2025 takes place throughout Bradford District, which covers 141 square miles across West Yorkshire. It features performances, exhibitions, events and activities inspired by the extraordinary variety of this landscape, from the city's historic centre to the breathtaking countryside that surrounds it. It pays homage to Bradford's potent heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world's first UNESCO City of Film. Most of all, it celebrates the people of Bradford, from local artists and creative organisations to the diverse communities who call Bradford home.

Bradford 2025 is created for, with and by the people of Bradford – and it has young people at its heart. With more than a quarter of its population aged under 20, Bradford is one of the UK's youngest cities. Bradford 2025 is proudly reflecting this youth across all aspects of its programme, from education, skills and training projects to new artistic commissions centred on the lives, concerns and ambitions of young people today.

Bradford 2025 is set to spotlight Bradford's dynamic contemporary arts and culture, from dance and theatre to film, music and even food. At the same time, it will cement Bradford's reputation as one of the most welcoming places in the UK for artists, producers and creative entrepreneurs, with international exchanges, development programmes and new cultural investment benefiting the entire district.

The impact of UK City of Culture will continue long after the end of 2025. The district's designation has already brought significant investment to the region, and Bradford 2025 is set to serve as a catalyst for development, regeneration and change – reshaping Bradford for the benefit of future generations.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture is delivered by Bradford Culture Company, a charity supported by public investment from HM Government, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and through National Lottery funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Spirit of 2012, British Film Institute and a number of trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Bradford District Museums and Galleries – Cliffe Castle Museum
Cliffe Castle in Keighley is one of four Bradford District Museums and Galleries venues run by Bradford Council. 

Cliffe Castle was originally built in the 1880s as the home of Victorian millionaire and textile manufacturer, Henry Isaac Butterfield and was a showpiece of international art and French decoration. It was the scene of many glittering parties and society events.

In the 1950s the Castle was bought by Sir Bracewell Smith, who commissioned architect Sir Albert Richardson to turn Cliffe Castle's gardens into a grand public park and remodelled the Castle to be a free museum for the people of the district.

Visitors can see sparkling Victorian rooms, furniture, paintings and decorative art. It is home to important collections in geology, natural history, local history and stained glass. Alongside its permanent displays the venue offers an exciting programme of exhibitions, activities, workshops and a fantastic café.