Room 65: British Silver Pre-1800
On show here is the enormous, flamboyant table centrepiece made by Nicolas Sprimont in 1747 for the Earl of Ashburn…
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Room 66: Silver Discovery Area
The Silver Discovery Area is located in Room 66. Here you can make your own hallmark, touch silver objects or explo…
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Room 67: British Silver, 1800 to early 1900s
Room 67 contains a wide range of silver from the 1800s through to the early 1900s. The objects on display here have…
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Room 68: Modernist to Contemporary Silver
Room 68 is devoted to silver of the last hundred years. There are thematic displays illustrating silver from the po…
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Room 69: European Silver
Room 69 includes sumptuous displays of European silver created between 1400 and 1800. In the centre of the room are…
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Room 70: Early silver
Silver and gold from the late 15th to the 19th centuries from Britain, Continental Europe and India make up the col…
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Room 70a: Silver Galleries entrance
Room 70a is the entrance to the Silver galleries which begin in Room 65. At the centre of this room is an electroty…
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Room 71: Huguenot, Regency and Virtuoso silver
This impressive collection not only provides a broad picture of the development of silver styles and techniques in …
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Room 72: Boxes and Micromosaics
There are over 200 gold boxes in the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, most of which were made as containers…
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Room 73: Italian Souvenirs
Room 73 houses micromosaics from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. Micromosaics depicting popular attrac…
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Rooms 83-84: Sacred Silver & Stained Glass
The richness or simplicity of the vessels used in Christian worship, displayed in the Sacred Silver room, reflect t…
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Room 89: The Silver Lions
Room 89 is dominated by these three splendid life-size, electrotype copies of 17th-century silver lions made by Elk…
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Room 113: Ironwork
The ironwork gallery is the longest in the Museum and provides a striking setting for the national collection of Eu…
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Rooms 114a-e: Ironwork
The longest gallery in the Museum provides a striking setting for the national collection of European decorative wr…
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Room 116: Metalware
The Belinda Gentle Gallery is divided into two sections: brass and pewter. The brass display focuses on candlestick…
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The sacred silver collection
The V&A's collection of objects used in worship is vast. The Sacred Silver collection comprises objects made for Christian worship (Catholic and Protestant, from Britain, Europe and beyond). It also features a small but significant collection of Judaica (objects used in Jewish worship). The collection dates from early medieval times to the present day.
Development of the gold, silver and mosaics galleries, 2009
In 2009 a generous donation and endowment from the Heather Trust allowed the V&A to re-display the Gilbert Collection of breath-taking objects in the fields of English and Continental gold and silver, gold snuff-boxes, Italian micro-mosaics, pietre dure from Florence and Rome and enamel portrait miniatures.
Silver reading list
Recommended reading about silver covering general and more specific topics and periods
Silver dolphin basin by Christiaen van Vianen, 1635
This embossed silver basin and a now lost ewer were used for rosewater. They would have been brought to the table for diners to wash their hands at the end of the meal.
Silver dish embossed with Aeneas' escape from Troy, by Gabriel Felling, 1687-95
This silver dish is embossed with a scene of Aeneas fleeing the burning city of Troy. He is carrying his father Anchises and accompanied by his son Ascanius.
Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950
From 19 May 2012 the V&A celebrates the opening of the newly renovated Fashion Galleries with an exhibition of beautiful ballgowns, red carpet evening dresses and catwalk showstoppers.
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Medieval and Renaissance Galleries Postcard Book
The Medieval and Renaissance Galleries 1300-1600 postcard book
Buy nowEvent - British Galleries Tour
Mon 19 January 2009–Mon 31 December 2012
TOUR: Join this daily one hour tour which introduces the V&A's stunning British Galleries which house the most comprehensive collection of British design and art on view anywhere in the world.
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