Mexica (Aztec) Obsidian Blade, 13th–16th Century

A finely cast blue faience ushabti from the Egyptian Late Period (664–332 BCE), inscribed with Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead to serve the deceased in the fields of Osiris. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A cast brass plaque from the royal court of the Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria, depicting a senior warrior flanked by attendants in full ceremonial regalia. Produced by Benin palace guilds using the lost-wax technique, 16th–17th century.

A large Ethiopian bronze processional cross (qäqwami mäsqäl) from the Amhara or Tigrinya tradition, 15th–16th century, used in the liturgy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church — among the most distinctive sacred objects of African Christianity.

A magnificent earthenware horse with three-colour (sancai) lead glaze from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), representing the Silk Road culture of cosmopolitan Tang China. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.