Art & design in early medieval Europe 300–1000
Part of a chronological series of articles covering the period 300-1600, this article contains a brief overview of …
Read articleArt & design in medieval Europe 1000–1200
Part of a chronological series of articles covering the period 300-1600, this article contains a brief overview of …
Read articleMedieval monasteries
Christian monasticism developed in Egypt in the 3rd century when some Christians chose poverty and isolation as a w…
Read articleGothic architecture
The style of architecture we now call Gothic first emerged in northern France in around 1140. It evolved during the…
Read articleCharlemagne and Aachen
Charlemagne (747–814) ruled over the largest empire in western Europe since the height of the Roman Empire. Charlem…
Read articleChamplevé enamelling 1100–1250
Between 1100–1250 specialist metalworkers flourished in the areas around Cologne (the Rhineland), Liège (the Meuse …
Read articleThe Gloucester candlestick: origins & meaning
The ‘Gloucester candlestick’, dating from 1104–13, belonged to the Church of St Peter in Gloucester (now Gloucester…
Read articleApocalypse & the Book of Revelation
The apocalypse comes from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, which describes the final battle betw…
Read articleStudy Room resource: Medieval writing and printing
The contents of this resource has been put together to illustrate book production from the hand-made manuscript to …
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Islamic Middle East
The V&A holds over 19,000 items from the Middle East and North Africa, ranging from the early Islamic period (the 7th century) to the early 20th century. The collections include holdings of metalwork, ceramics, architectural woodwork and textiles, in particular from Iran, and also from Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and the countries of North Africa.

Medieval & Renaissance Galleries guide app
Download the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries Guide app and discover the treasures of these award-winning galleries which opened in 2009.
Dame Joan Evans
Dame Joan Evans was a scholar of Medieval art and a member of the V&A’s Advisory Council. She donated her extensive collection of jewels to the Museum in 1975.
Victorian furniture styles
This page describes various different Victorian styles of furniture. The styles vary and include Japanese designs, medieval and tudor and designs from Liberty & Co.
Islamic textiles & dress reading list
Textiles from North Africa, the Middle East and Western Central Asia. See also reading lists for medieval textiles and for carpets.
Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton
8 February – 22 April 2012
Featuring portraits of Queen Elizabeth II by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibition celebrates Her Majesty in her roles as princess, monarch and mother and coincides with the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
More detailsShop online
Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture
Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum
Buy nowEvent - Early Medieval 11/12
Fri 16 September 2011–Fri 30 March 2012

COURSE: Explore the visual arts of the Medieval period through the V&A’s abundant medieval collections, including architecture and sculpture, metalwork and enamels, silks and embroidery, ivory carving and manuscript illumination, wall painting and mosaic. You can book the full year course, or select individual terms or days. Fridays, 16 September 2011 – 13 July 2012 (over 3 terms)
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