Conservation Treatments
Conservation encompasses two fundamentals: to make the Victoria and Albert Museum's collections last as long as possible and to assist our understanding and enjoyment of th…
Read article
Caring for your ceramics
Ceramics include all objects made from clay which are shaped when wet and hardened by heating (firing). Fired clay has been used to create both functional and decorative ob…
Read article
Cleaning of stove for medieval & renaissance galleries - a student project
The free-standing structure was designed as a wood-burning stove, stoked and ventilated from the back through two holes in the wall, so it could heat a room without filling…
Read article
Mind the gap: conservation of a Delftware bowl
Using extremely rudimentary conservation skills to assemble the fragments with a paste of animal glue and sawdust and it was in this form that they came to the V&A.
Read article
A saint unveiled
In 1857 the V&A acquired part of a wall mosaic believed to be dated around the 8-9th century, until recent research revealed an intriguing deception.
Read article
Glazed terracotta roundels by Luca della Robbia: conservation issues
The conservation of twelve glazed terracotta roundels depicting the twelve labours of the year, ascribed to Luca della Robbia, has been an ongoing project for the sculpture…
Read article
Conservation of a ninth-century bowl from Iraq
Due in part to the technological milestones illustrated by the treatment of this bowl, it will feature in the touring exhibition Masterpieces in Ceramics from the V&a…
Read article
Investigations into the Use of Laponite as a Poulticing Material in Ceramics Conservation
Laponites (Laporte Absorbents) are a range of synthetic silicates manufactured from pure chemicals. Fundamentally they are closely related to the natural clay m…
Read articleLustre ceramics analysis using the MOLAB facilities
Lustre is one of the most important decorative techniques of Medieval and Renaissance pottery in the Mediterranean basin. It is manufactured by depositing a metal on a tin-…
Read article
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.
MoreShop online
Chinese Export Ceramics
This beautiful book tells the story of Chinese ceramics exported to Europe, the Middle East and South-east Asia through the V&A's extensive and ce…
Buy nowEvent - Deception: Ceramics & Imitation
Thu 06 June 2013 13:00
GALLERY TALK: From functional tablewares masquerading as fruit or vegetables to imitations of prized materials, potters have always created objects intended to delight and surprise by deceiving the eye.
Book online
