Festivals of Light - Hinduism
Certain elements of Hinduism date back about 4000 years. Most gods are worshipped as aspects of the creator god Bra…
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Celebrations of Light Flickr group
Add your photographs in celebration of light to our Flickr group.
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Jain festivals
Religious festivals play an important part in the Jain community. They provide a focus for communal celebration and…
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Traditional Japanese pastimes: the tea ceremony
Japan is famous for the tea ceremony, a special occasion involving particular objects and rituals, which aims to cr…
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Traditional Japanese pastimes: giving gifts
Games, writing and tea sets were the sort of high-quality goods that Japanese people would give each other as prese…
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Sir Benjamin Stone & the National Photographic Record Association
In 1897, Queen Victoria's Jubilee year, Sir Benjamin Stone announced the formation of the National Photographic Rec…
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The Function of a 'Fetish' Figure
The this paper discusses a nkisi 'fetish' figure, and questions whether, as a museum object, it has lost some of it…
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V&A 150th Anniversary
In June 2007, the V&A celebrated the 150th anniversary of its opening in South Kensington. To reflect this and to mark the occasion, 150 facts about the V&A were pulled together that gave a glimpse of the history, personality and scale of the museum at that time.
The RIBA Stirling Prize: A Celebration of British Architecture
The RIBA Stirling Prize has captured the public imagination. It shows what good contemporary architecture can offer and highlights the very best of British architectural talent
Frederick Hollyer
Frederick Hollyer adapted new technical developments in photography to create a unique visual record of London life at the dawn of the 20th century. His portrait photographs offer us a glimpse into late-Victorian and Edwardian celebrity culture. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds a remarkable collection of Hollyer portraits - nearly 200 platinum prints contained in three chintz-covered albums - and also some of his reproductions.
Festivals of Light - Judaism
Light is fundamental to Judaism as a sign of God's spirit and guiding force. On a Friday night, the mother or senior woman of the household lights two candles to welcome in the Sabbath, the day of rest. The light represents hope and joy.
Burial customs in China
The custom of burying grave goods with dead bodies lasted a long time, so the artefacts that remain range from Neolithic times (about 5000 BC) to the end of the Ming dynasty (1644). Inevitably, most of them come from the graves of the few with wealth and power; the lives of most people passed into history unrecorded.
Donate to the Stained Glass Appeal
We are currently working on an exciting project to conserve and re-install the original stained glass on the landings of the Manfred and Lydia Gorvy Lecture Theatre. We need your help to raise £75,000 to bring these historical features back to their former glory for us all to enjoy.
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'Festival of Britain' Print
From poster promoting the Festival of Britain, Abram Games (1914—96), 1951.
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