The ancient Assyrian, Babylonian, Phoenician and Persian empires shared with Alexander the Great the goal of extending their power beyond their own borders.
Their territories were the scene of incessant struggles, but also intense commerce in raw materials, precious metals and manufactured items.
Evidence remains of the exceptional quality and refinement of the luxuries acquired by elites over hundreds of years. A fine selection of these objects, from the British Museum, are now on display in this exhibition at the CaixaForum.