This inspiring volume assembles a remarkable global collection of 180 objects that showcase the human instinct to challenge authority.
Across millennia, dissent has been an essential ingredient in the development of human civilization, acting as a driving force behind social and political change. In I object, satirist Ian Hislop, along with co-writer Tom Hockenhull, gathers together some 180 objects that people have created, adapted, and used to mock and attack the status quo in societies as varied as eleventh-century bc Egypt, sixteenth-century England, and late twentieth-century Afghanistan. The objects―ranging from explicit symbols of dissidence such as badges, posters, prints, and ceramics, to items that contain hidden messages, such as wooden doors from Nigeria, a cotton kanga from Kenya, or a postage stamp from China―illuminate lost or forgotten moments in history, and give voice to those who have no other way to express their views safely.
The book is organized into three sections: the first looks at overt challenges to authority, from defaced coins to visual satire; the second explores how subversive messages, codes, and metaphors can be concealed in, for example, clothing and jewelry; the third investigates the role of the artist as activist.
I object is a celebration of the wit and ingenuity of those who have questioned the establishment, told through the objects they left behind. 190 illustrations

I object (British Museum, 8)

Arts & Photography

Hislop, Ian

Hockenhull, Thomas

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Thames&Hudson

Money has always been a subject of interest, today more so than ever. For centuries it has performed a key role around the globe most obviously in trade and the economy, but also in the development of national identities, religions and the spread of empire. Introduced as measurements of weight to serve the most basic of functions, these currencies have changed appearance and meaning throughout the ages and developed into complex monetary units we know today. With a brief but informative biography of each of the currencies, it reveals where and how each originated, the various roles they performed, and how they spread, survived and changed over the years. Some may have fallen into disuse but they might also have been revived in new and unexpected forms, and in different locations. Charting the rise and fall of each, the book will look at how the movements, developments and designs of currencies can highlight broader themes of history such as the characteristics of empire, trade and migration and the personalities of kings and rulers and how they can be identified as barometers for the political fortunes of a nation. Packed full of facts and interesting stories, and thoughtfully illustrated with images from the British Museum and beyond, Symbols of Power is an illuminating account of world currencies and the crucial role they play in our world.

Symbols of Power

Business & Money

Economics

BRITISH MUSEUM

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