'Ice Age Art - Exploring the Deeper History of Art', presented here by the Bradshaw Foundation in collaboration with Dr Jill Cook of the British Museum in London, delves into the varied and numerous sculptures created during prehistory. Dr Jill Cook, Curator of European Prehistory at the British Museum, is a leading authority on the 'portable' art of prehistory. The 'portable' sculptures include female figurines, animals, composite figures (combining both human and animal forms), tools (decorated with figures, animals and patterns), plaques and pendants. The materials used were stone, clay, bone and antler.
In this section Dr Cook examines the sculptures, excavated by archaeologists around the world, in detail, arguing that these works of art 'of the light' were produced by artists no different to those of today. The distinction between 'prehistory' and 'history' becomes blurred when considering the themes and carvings of the Ice Age Sculptures. This is also illustrated by the section in the 'Ice Age Art - Exploring the Deeper History of Art' about the Cycladic Figures.
