Museum displays don’t just happen on their own, they are the collaborative work of many dedicated individuals with very specialized skills. Garnitures : Vase Sets from National Trust Houses has been in the making for almost three years and involved the staff of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Trust. There have been meetings with curators, registrars, content editors for Digital Media, press officers, photographers, editors, graphic designers, museum packers, technicians, events managers, conservators and our sponsor, The Headley Trust team.
For me, most of the planning has been virtual, the display has only existed on a powerpoint, where I copy, drag and paste objects and layout the vase sets. My first real evidence of the volume of work involved in making my virtual display a reality, was when I arrived for the unpacking and saw the 90 crates stacked up in the Ceramics Galleries! Every object was carefully packed to international museum standards. It all arrived safely in the city of London’s West End from 13 houses spread accross the English countryside: Blickling, Norfolk, Dunham Massey and Tatton Park, Cheshire, Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, Ickworth, Suffolk, Kingston Lacy, Dorset, Stourhead, Wiltshire, Saltram, Devon, Clandon Park, Surrey, Scotney Castle and Knole, Kent, Petworth, West Sussex, and Upton House, Warwickshire! Huzzah!
Before the final selection was made, the objects had to be condition reported by NT house staff and conservators. Every chip, hairline crack, crazed glaze, firing damage, old mends or repairs were noted, described and photographed. Many of the objects were cleaned at their various properties before they were packed, but others were sent to be conserved. Cracks were cleaned and consolidated, new finials were made to replace missing examples and ormolu mounts brightened up by the following conservators: Fi Jordan, Ros Hodges, Bouke de Vries and Zoe Firebrace. However, it was important that the objects be presented just as the donor families enjoyed them.
When the objects were unpacked, they were examined by representatives of both the V&A and the NT for any changes. Ninety objects were unpacked slowly and carefully; photographs were taken during the unpacking to record any changes to the object during transport. Often the packing was itself a work of art: boxes were inside the crates, filled with beautifully crafted ‘wads’, tissue neatly folded into pads, and exquisitely cut foam supports.
At one point an eagle-eyed curator spotted finger prints and some particles from the packing on one of the vases. A ceramics conservator Hanneke Ramakers soon arrived with her tool kit and cleaned the surface and dusted away the packing debris, ensuring the precious object looked its best in the display.
It was wonderful to have the National Trust Registrar, Fernande Torrente, and Assistant Registrar, Susan Paisley, present for the unpacking and to approve the placement of objects. Sara Mittica, the V&A’s Assistant Registrar, popped in frequently to check our progress. Sara has worked with the NT and private lenders on the loan agreements and transport planning for over a year. Helen Lloyd, formerly The Housekeeper and now National Specialists Consultancy Manager (Collections & Interpretation) Preventive Conservation Adviser – Housekeeping, visited one afternoon. Helen was involved with the last exhibition to include National Trust ceramics held in Washington, DC, The Treasure Houses of Britain: 500 Years of Private Patronage and Art Collecting, in 1985, a landmark in country house studies, which stimulated my interest in the subject, though sadly I never saw the show!
We all voiced our opinions on the various arrangements of the garnitures, “little to the left, little bit forward, stop, perfect!”. Here are some photos of the Installation Team:
By the time you read this, the display will be open! There is a symposium planned for 17 March 2017, and a small publication for sale in the V&A bookshop, Garnitures: Vase Sets from National Trust Houses and elsewhere, all thanks to The Headley Trust.
Please do come and visit the display in the V&A. If you have a garniture or an interesting chimney display, please post it on your Social Media platforms!
#GarnituresVaseSets
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