The Museum has a wide and varied collection of Christian objects, dating from the middle ages to today. Including metalwork, stained glass, textiles, church furnishing and visual art.
Christian Symbolism: Jesus, Mary and the Saints
Jesus is the central figure in Christian teaching. Many images show the major events in his life, for example, his birth and his death on the cross.
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Christian Symbolism: Words, Letters and Symbols
Words, letters and symbols are widely used in Christian art to represent various important figures and moments from the life of Jesus.
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Christian Symbolism: The Natural World
Christian art often uses images of the natural world to represent spiritual qualities. Sacred natural symbols include plants, animals, winged creatures and celestial bodies…
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Festivals of Light - Christianity
The Gloucester Candlestick, one of the finest examples of medieval Christian art in the Museum, demonstrates the importance of light in Christian worship. Candles were an i…
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Saints & Suffering
During the medieval and Renaissance periods, saints, particularly female saints, were also venerated because of the pain or martyrdom they suffered during their lives. For …
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Apocalypse & the Book of Revelation
The apocalypse comes from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, which describes the final battle between God and Satan – Armageddon. During the medieval perio…
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Silver Objects in Christian Worship
Objects used in Christian worship from the V&A collection
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Christian Community Views on Objects in the Collections
Advisory groups were held with different faith community groups with the aim of consulting to see the relevance of the V&A collections and to get their views and reactions …
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Medieval Monasteries
Christian monasticism developed in Egypt in the 3rd century when some Christians chose poverty and isolation as a way of getting closer to God. Communities copying the stri…
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The Church and the Baroque
The patronage of the Roman Catholic Church was fundamental to the Baroque style. Promoted by generations of popes, cardinals, priests, missionaries, worshippers and lay-pat…
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The Hereford Screen, by Sir George Gilbert Scott, 1862
The great choir screen made for Hereford Cathedral is one of the monuments of High Victorian art and a masterpiece in the Gothic Revival style. It was designed by Sir Georg…
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The 's-Hertogenbosch Choir Screen, by Coenraed van Norenberch, 1600 - 1613
During the 13th and 17th centuries choir screens became common features in Netherlandish churches. Of those that survive none has a more remarkable history than the choir s…
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Christiane F. (DVD)
Gritty drama based on the true confessions of 13-year-old Christiane (played here by Natja Brunckhorst), a girl who lives with her mother in a high-ri…
Buy nowEvent - Early Medieval 300-1250 13/14
Fri 20 September 2013 10:30
YEAR COURSE: Celebrate the Museum's world-class early Medieval collection.
Fridays, 20 September 2013 - 11 July 2014 (over 3 terms), 11.10-15.30
