The development of English black japanning 1620-1820
Oriental lacquer objects were first imported into Europe in the late sixteenth century. Imitations of lacquer by Eu…
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A higher ambition: Owen Jones (1809–74)
Owen Jones was a versatile architect and designer, and one of the most influential design theorists of the 19th cen…
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British watercolours 1750-1900: travels in Europe and the Middle East
In the early 19th century more artists took advantage of the opportunities for foreign travel, exploring new subjec…
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The Victorian vision of China and Japan
The myth of the exotic East has always been a potent one in the West, fuelling such images as Coleridge's 'stately …
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Dance in popular theatre
A brief history of dance in popular theatre from the 17th century, through music hall, the development of ballet, skirt dancing and the Tiller Girls.
Obituaries of John Conran Irwin
John Irwin (1917–97) helped to transform scholarly understanding of the Indo-European textile trade and of the interchange of design ideas between East and West. He joined the Victoria & Albert Museum as Assistant Keeper of the Indian section at the end of WWII and became Keeper in1959. In 1970 he became head of a new Oriental Department that combined the Indian and Far East collections.
Obituary of Arthur Wheen
Arthur Wheen (1897–1971) was an art historian and translator who joined the Library of the Victoria and Albert Museum (now the National Art Library) in 1924. He became Keeper in 1939 and increased the Library’s collections by tracking down publications in East European and Oriental languages, especially Chinese and Japanese.
Obituary of B W Robinson
Basil William Robinson (1912–2006) was an expert in the classification and chronology of Persian miniatures. His interest in oriental art was inspired by childhood visits to the Victoria & Albert Museum, and he joined the staff there in 1939, first in the National Art Library and then the Department of Metalwork. In 1966 he became Keeper of the department and after his retirement in 1972 spent four years as Keeper Emeritus, helping to establish the Museum’s Far Eastern Department.
East meets West: The Althorp Triad
The Althorp triad, now on display in the British Galleries, is a particularly fine example of furniture that incorporates both oriental lacquer and western japanning.
Donate to the Stained Glass Appeal
We are currently working on an exciting project to conserve and re-install the original stained glass on the landings of the Manfred and Lydia Gorvy Lecture Theatre. We need your help to raise £75,000 to bring these historical features back to their former glory for us all to enjoy.
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Costume design for Anna Pavlova (Custom print)
Costume design for Anna Pavlova in Oriental Fantasy by Leon Bakst (A4 Satin print)
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