Feminine Power: the divine to the demonic
This exhibition’s vast theme sees feminist readings ‘thrust’ onto ‘unruly ancient art’

The British Museum’s Feminine Power brings together “an exhilarating array of goddesses, sorceresses and demonesses from living religions as varied as Tibetan Buddhism and Wicca, jostling side by side with cult objects from antiquity all over the globe”, said Marina Warner in The Guardian.
It’s the latest in a “splendid” line of exhibitions that use the British Museum’s vast holdings to explore the role of the sacred in different societies – in this case, examining the ways in which women have been idolised, vilified, objectified and worshipped through the ages.
You can see Cycladic clay figurines from around 3000BC, probably representing a mother goddess, and an Egyptian amulet from 1400BC that symbolises the blood of Isis. Nearby, there’s a video following a Vodun-like ceremony in contemporary Nigeria “in honour of Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of fresh water and healing”. The show is a “treasure store of fascinating artefacts, thoughtfully chosen and arranged”, which offers to “reconnect us to the volcanic energy of goddess cults the world over”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There’s certainly no shortage of “intriguing” exhibits here, said Waldemar Januszczak in The Sunday Times. A section devoted to the role of feminine deities in “the world’s many origin myths” gives us a “beautiful”, red-hued carving of the Hawaiian goddess Pele, said “to be responsible for the eruption of volcanoes”; and a shiny brass plate showing Mami Wata, the African river goddess, “woman on top, fish below”. In the section about female sexual power, a “tiny” Roman cameo from about 200BC carries possibly the oldest known image of Adam and Eve being tempted by the snake.
Unfortunately, however, the wondrous artefacts here are not allowed to speak for themselves. Instead, the curators attempt to rationalise their argument from a modern viewpoint, offering revisionist captions that “thrust feminist readings onto unruly ancient art”. It feels “more like projection than scholarship”, and the effect is “shrill and preachy”.
On large video screens, contemporary female thinkers including classicist Mary Beard and playwright Bonnie Greer tell us what to think; they can be heard in “every corner of the show”, making it “genuinely difficult to concentrate on the art”. It is decidedly annoying.
The assorted experts do provide some relevant and thoughtprovoking context for the exhibits, said Lucy Davies in The Daily Telegraph. Beard, for instance, gives unexpected nuance to a “glowing” marble Venus from AD100-150, explaining that the goddess was “an icon of military endeavour as well as love”; when Roman soldiers marched on Londinium, she tells us, “they did so with coins depicting her image jangling in their tunic pockets”.
Yet the show’s theme is so vast that it’s hard to take it all in: one moment, we’re learning about Medusa, Circe and the changing perceptions of the goddess Hecate, variously presented as “beautiful and independent” and “aggressively sexual”. Next come “Lakshmi, Hathor, the Virgin Mary, Guanyin, Ishtar and Rangda”. After a while, the barrage of cross-cultural information starts to become “head-spinning”. There is scarcely a dull moment in this compendium of “tremendous” objects: “but unless you happen to be in possession of divine powers yourself, you may struggle to digest it”.
British Museum, London WC1 (020-7323 8000, britishmuseum.org). Until 25 September.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The strange phenomenon of beard transplants
In The Spotlight Inquiries for the procedure have tripled since 2020, according to one clinician, as prospective patients reportedly seek a more 'masculine' look
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 26, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 26, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Book review: ‘Abundance’ and ‘Raising Hare: A Memoir’
Feature The political party of ‘abundance’ and a political adviser befriends a baby hare
By The Week US Published
-
A horseback safari in the wilds of Zambia
The Week Recommends Unforgettable trip offers chance to see wildlife and experience local villages
By The Week UK Published
-
Erica's harira soup recipe
The Week Recommends Gently spiced Moroccan soup-stew warms the soul
By The Week UK Published
-
6 spacious homes in lofts
Feature Featuring a Landmarks Conservancy award-winning apartment in New York City and a helicopter-workshop-turned-home in Washington, D.C.
By The Week US Published
-
Properties of the week: little gems
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Kent, Cornwall and Fife
By The Week UK Published
-
Opus: 'charismatic' Ayo Edebiri can't rescue 'empty' cult horror
Talking Point Celebrity satire follows a 'well trodden' plot and struggles to find its voice
By The Week UK Published
-
Turner: In Light and Shade – an 'enlightening' exhibition
The Week Recommends 'Superb' collection of the celebrated artist's works on paper are on display at the Whitworth
By The Week UK Published