SINGAPORE — Come Saturday, visitors to the National Museum of Singapore will be able to get up close to more than 230 treasures from The British Museum, in what is the largest and most comprehensive show from the British Museum’s collection in Singapore to date.

The Treasures Of The World from the British Museum exhibition features relics from ancient civilisations and treasures spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. It also includes renowned objects such as the British Museum’s infamous Egyptian mummy-board, a Lewis chess piece from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and an 800,000-year-old stone hand axe from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.

“This exhibition, which is a collaboration between the two museums, is a wonderful result of a lot of hard work on both sides,” said Jane Portal, keeper of the department of Asia at the British Museum, at a media preview of the exhibition yesterday. “It’s unprecedented in its scale and ambition, and it continues our mission to allow everyone to see and learn about the world’s cultures through our collection. Also, if I may say so, it’s a real honour for the British Museum to be able to present this exhibition in Singapore … this year of Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence.”

The exhibition also features items collected by Sir Stamford Raffles when he was in South-east Asia, such as a Javanese mask and a kris and scabbard that date back to the early 19th century. And in an effort to juxtapose the nation’s artistic development against global art movements in the 1980s, two artworks from Singapore’s national collection, Anthony Poon’s W-White on 2P Waves and Iskandar Jalil’s Blue Vessel, have also been included.

“The British Museum’s aim of curating a collection of objects that showcases the entire world, both in the past and present, is very much aligned with what the National Museum endeavours to do for our audience,” said Angelita Teo, director of the National Museum of Singapore. “This exhibition is both a timely reminder of the importance of the object in preserving Singapore’s history, as well as a step towards the appreciation of the common values, aspirations and themes that connect us all.

“In today’s integrated world, it is important that we learn not just about our own heritage and culture, but also be exposed to and appreciate that of the world around us.”

The Treasures Of The World From The British Museum exhibition will take place at the Special Exhibitions Gallery at the National Museum of Singapore from Dec 5 to May 29, 2016. Additional details and ticketing information can be found at http://www.nationalmuseum.sg.