By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 11:52 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:30 EST, 14 March 2013 . The British Museum’s latest exhibition showcases every aspect of life in ancient Rome. Perhaps, says its curator, in rather too much risqué detail for some visitors. A sculpture showing the Greek god Pan in an erotic clinch with a female goat is accompanied by a discreet ‘parental guidance’ notice that it is ‘sexually explicit’. Risque: The statue of Pan And The Goat will go on display at the British Museum as part of its new exhibition of artefacts from the ruined cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum . The statue of Pan, himself half goat, would have been a cultured joke to the wealthy Romans who placed it in their garden. Recently, more prudish tastes have prevailed and the sculpture is normally housed in an ‘over-14s’ area at the Naples Museum. But it will be proudly displayed at a new show, Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Paul Roberts, senior curator, said: . ‘We have a small notice advising parents that there’s adult content, but . certainly not a curtain, which it has had elsewhere. ‘To a Roman it would have been humorous. I doubt there would have been a household without something sexual.’ Also on show is a bronze phallus wind . chime. A small notice on the wall of the gallery reads: ‘This section . of the exhibition contains sexually explicit material.’ British Museum: The museum said the erotic sculpture would have been amusing, rather than offensive, to Romans . Erotic art was commonplace in the ill-fated cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried within the space of a single day in AD 79 by a catastrophic volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius. Phalluses and representations of the Greek fertility god Priapus adorned paintings and mosaics, and were even carved into doorways and paving stones. The British Museum's exhibition also features an array of other, non-erotic artefacts, including wall paintings, wooden furniture and a garden bench from 1,700 years that were part of the daily lives of the cities' residents 1,700 years ago. The exhibition will open on March 28.
Sculpture of god Pan and a nanny goat features in new exhibit .
Erotic statue would have been 'humorous' to Romans, says curator .
Features in display of artefacts from ill-fated cities Pompeii and Herculaneum .
The risque statue is said to be one of Naples' most prized artworks .
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 11:52 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:30 EST, 14 March 2013 . The British Museum’s latest exhibition showcases every aspect of life in ancient Rome. Perhaps, says its curator, in rather too much risqué detail for some visitors. A sculpture showing the Greek god Pan in an erotic clinch with a female goat is accompanied by a discreet ‘parental guidance’ notice that it is ‘sexually explicit’. Risque: The statue of Pan And The Goat will go on display at the British Museum as part of its new exhibition of artefacts from the ruined cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum . The statue of Pan, himself half goat, would have been a cultured joke to the wealthy Romans who placed it in their garden. Recently, more prudish tastes have prevailed and the sculpture is normally housed in an ‘over-14s’ area at the Naples Museum. But it will be proudly displayed at a new show, Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Paul Roberts, senior curator, said: . ‘We have a small notice advising parents that there’s adult content, but . certainly not a curtain, which it has had elsewhere. ‘To a Roman it would have been humorous. I doubt there would have been a household without something sexual.’ Also on show is a bronze phallus wind . chime. A small notice on the wall of the gallery reads: ‘This section . of the exhibition contains sexually explicit material.’ British Museum: The museum said the erotic sculpture would have been amusing, rather than offensive, to Romans . Erotic art was commonplace in the ill-fated cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried within the space of a single day in AD 79 by a catastrophic volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius. Phalluses and representations of the Greek fertility god Priapus adorned paintings and mosaics, and were even carved into doorways and paving stones. The British Museum's exhibition also features an array of other, non-erotic artefacts, including wall paintings, wooden furniture and a garden bench from 1,700 years that were part of the daily lives of the cities' residents 1,700 years ago. The exhibition will open on March 28.
of its new exhibition of artefacts from the ruined cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum . The statue of Pan, himself half goat, would have been Paul Roberts, senior curator, said: . ‘We have a than offensive, to Romans . Erotic art was commonplace in the ill-fated cities of Pompeii