Japan: land and climate
Japan consists of over 1,000 islands situated east of the Asian mainland. The four largest islands, Honshu, Hokkaid…
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Frost Fair mug, by unknown maker, 1684
A miraculous survival, this tiny glass mug is a souvenir of the Frost Fair, bought from a stall erected upon the Th…
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British watercolours 1750-1900: depicting the elements
According to the drawing master, Alexander Cozens, landscape could be codified into three categories: 'Composition'…
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Beatrix Potter: place as inspiration
Gardens, landscape and nature intrigued Potter and inspired the settings of several books, including the tales of P…
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Climate monitoring of objects for the 'Gothic: Art for England' exhibition
The objects being borrowed for the exhibition presented some interesting challenges concerning the environmen…
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Off-site Radio Telemetry
This article looks at monitoring the climate of the Blythe House store, in which many objects destined for the Brit…
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20th- and 21st-century theatre reading list
Recommended reading about 20th and 21st Century Theatre
Room 128: Architecture
The Architecture gallery features highlights from the world-class collections of drawings, models, photographs and architectural fragments of the V&A and the RIBA. It explores buildings from across the globe and what lies behind their design.
Drinks trolley by Zsuzsa Kozma, 1938-9
This Kozma drinks trolley, designed by Zsuzsa Kozma in Budapest was given to the V&A in 1997. It is associated with immigration at the end of the Second World War. In 1947 both its owner and its designer left war-torn Hungary.
Kimono: introduction
Japan has a very rich textile history, a major focus of interest and artistic expression being the kimono. Meaning 'the thing worn', the term kimono was first adopted in the mid-19th century. Prior to that the garment was known as a kosode, which means 'small sleeve', a reference to the opening at the wrist.
Health & medicine in the 19th century
Early Victorian ideas of human physiology involved a clear understanding of anatomy (at least among experts; but the populace often had hazy knowledge of the location and role of internal organs) allied to a concept of vital forces focused on the hematological and nervous systems that now seems closer to the ancient 'humours' than to present-day models.
A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
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Bleeding Heart Necklace by Michael Michaud
This beautiful collection is cast from real flora, capturing each natural detail of the original.
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