East stairs

Reliefs accompany the climb on the East stairs. Their pale surfaces are nineteenth-century plaster casts, made to bring the forms of distant monuments into the Museum. The original carved walls and stones remain at their sites. The displays change with the landings. Maya casts occupy the lower part of the stairs. Casts from the tombs of the Egyptian kings Sety I and Merenptah appear at the middle landing, while Persepolis, a royal centre of ancient Persia, supplies the material above. The staircase brings together buildings made in different places and periods. Follow a carved figure or a repeated border across one panel before taking in the larger scene. A cast preserves the depth of carving as well as its outline. The display extends across a staircase, so choose the landings that suit your visit.