James Putnam (curator)

James Putnam is a British art historian, museum curator, and writer specializing in the art of burial and related themes. He is best known for his work on the subject of death in art and culture, and for his innovative and often provocative exhibitions at the British Museum and other institutions.

Putnam has held curatorial positions at the British Museum, including Curator of Egyptian Death and Burial. His work has focused on exploring the cultural significance of death rituals, funerary art, and the afterlife across different time periods and civilizations. He has organized numerous exhibitions that challenge conventional perspectives on death and burial, often bringing together artifacts from diverse cultural contexts.

His publications include books and articles on topics such as Egyptian mummies, death and art, and contemporary interpretations of ancient funerary practices. Putnam’s work is characterized by its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on archaeology, anthropology, art history, and religious studies to illuminate the complexities of human attitudes towards mortality. He has lectured extensively on his research and continues to contribute to scholarly debates surrounding the cultural representation of death.