Wooden cabinet, by John Byfield, about 1700
The Lawson cabinet was probably made in London around 1700. It is a fine example of the fashions influencing furnit…
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The Walpole cabinet
This cabinet with its pedimented top and lower drawer was designed to house Horace Walpole's collection of miniatur…
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Audio: St George cabinet by William Morris
The highly decorated St George's Cabinet demonstrates William Morris' love of romance. It was painted by Morris for…
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Writing Cabinet by Jacob Arend & Johannes Wittalm
In the 18th century writing cabinets such as this one were often important indicators of a gentleman’s status. This…
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Milk and Modernism: Conservation of a Smoker's Cabinet designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
For a furniture conservator whose past experience has focused on problems of construction and traditional surface d…
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Preservation or Intervention: an Indo-Portuguese Cabinet
Indo-Portuguese Cabinet, Conservation, Journal 43, Article 04
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William Beckford's treasure chest
Showcasing a coffer-shaped display cabinet, William Beckford and Henry Edmund Goodridge. This coffer is the only kn…
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The development of English black japanning 1620-1820
Oriental lacquer objects were first imported into Europe in the late sixteenth century. Imitations of lacquer by Eu…
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Discoveries on a pair of cassoni
In preparation for the opening of an exhibition, a pair of cassoni were returned to the Museum from a long term loa…
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Renaissance painted cassoni
The V& A holds a large collection of Italian Renaissance cassoni of varying types and periods, including a numb…
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Women in the Renaissance
The medieval and Renaissance collections at the V&A have many objects that reveal the lives of women. Ranging from …
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Audio: St George cabinet by William Morris
The highly decorated St George's Cabinet demonstrates William Morris' love of romance. It was painted by Morris for the 1862 International Exhibition in London, to show the products of his new interior design company, Morris & Co.
Rudolph II and Prague
The Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II (reigned 1572–1609) was one of the greatest patrons and collectors of art of the late 16th century. His collection, kept in his castle in Prague, was one the largest ever assembled and included a huge number of clocks and scientific instruments.
'Spectres: When Fashion Turns Back', fashion installation
Spectres set out to reveal the shadows and experiences that form a 'fashion memory' in contemporary dress. In showing the hidden, yet haunting, connections between recent fashion and its past, it used pieces drawn from avant-garde designers, from the V&A fashion collection and from the archive at ModeMuseum in Antwerp.
Observations on the causes of flaking in East Asian lacquer structures
East Asian lacquer is known to be a strong (flexible though rigid) material featuring firm cohesion and good adhesion between individually applied layers
A Study Visit to Japan
We eventually left the workshop of the Ohsaka family, makers of paulownia wood boxes for scrolls and other art. It was a fascinating introduction to the contrast between traditional and modern Japan.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
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Luxury Goods from India: The Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker
Highlights key objects from the V&A's unrivalled collection of furniture and objets d'art from India and Sri Lanka.
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