In photos: Glimpses from a British Museum exhibit on Indian idols

When was the Buddha first depicted in human form? How has the depiction of Ganesha evolved over time? Tour sculptures and artefacts currently on display.

Ancient India: Living Traditions, an exhibition underway at the British Museum, captures both the evolution and permanence of sacred art in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions. Take a look at some of the 180 exhibits on display.

The Bimaran casket from Eastern Afghanistan, dated to the 1st century. The Buddha was first represented symbolically as footprints or a tree, and was only later depicted in human form. This gold reliquary may represent the earliest dateable image of the Buddha shown as a man. He stands with his right hand raised in the gesture of reassurance and is flanked by the Hindu deities Indra (right) and Brahma (left). (British Museum)

A Ganesha sculpture made in Java from volcanic stone, dated to c. 1000 CE. Hindu ideas and imagery flowed in both directions between India and South-East Asia. This sculpture depicts the elephant=headed deity’s traditional attributes: broken tusk, axe and prayer beads. But there are differences too. Javanese portrayals often include skulls, the feet together, and an empty bowl rather than one filled with sweets. (British Museum)

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A sandstone figure of Ganesha from Uttar Pradesh, dated to 750 CE. This beloved deity is revered across religious and social lines, by people of Hindu faiths, and by some Jains and Buddhists. His depiction here incorporates nature-spirit imagery, from the snake cord around his torso, rising above one shoulder, to his pot belly (an ancient symbol of plenty). (British Museum)

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Sculpture of a seated Jain tirthankara meditating, dated to 1150-1200 CE. This marble figure depicts an enlightened teacher or tirthankara. The earliest certain representations of such teachers in human form are believed to have been shaped in Mathura, possibly in the 1st century BCE. A knot symbolising eternity sits at the centre of this tirthankara’s chest. (British Museum)

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A naga or cobra rears its five heads, in a stone plaque from the 17th century. Snake veneration has an ancient history in India. Devotees of different Hindu deities, and followers of different faiths, still pray before devotional images such as this one. (British Museum)