Portrait Miniatures: Royal Portraiture 1580-1625
Miniatures were particularly useful to the monarchy. They were small enough to be given personally, sometimes in a public ceremony, as a sign of the monarch's favour.
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Portrait miniatures: Nicholas Hilliard & Isaac Oliver
From his workshop in Gutter Lane, London, Nicholas Hilliard painted both courtiers and other wealthy patrons.
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A Silver-gilt Cup Commemorating the Coronation of James II
The flat-chased Chinoiserie figures carrying a canopy on the newly acquired James II Coronation Cup demonstrate the original purpose of its recycled silver: they reflect th…
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The Court Masque
The most lavish 17th-century productions were not open to the public. King James I and later his son Charles I commissioned spectacular private performances called 'masques…
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A History of a Night at the Theatre
Drama in Britain grew of out church services at Easter from the 10th century onwards. By the 14th century mystery cycles of plays based on the Bible were performed outside …
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Spectacle case of King James II, unknown maker, 1685-8
A fascinating late-18th-century letter accompanied these spectacles when they were acquired by the Museum, claiming the case had once belonged to King James II (1633-1701).…
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William Juxon's Chair and Footstool
The chair dates from 1661 and is the earliest surviving example of upholstered furniture. It is covered in a rich, originally purple, velvet with gold trimmings.
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Ethics in Action - Conservation of King James II's Wedding Suit
In 1995 the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired a suit made for King James II of England to wear at his wedding to Mary of Modena.
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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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Design and the Decorative Arts: Tudor and Stuart Britain 1500-1714
The V&A's bestselling Design and the Decorative Arts, Britain 1500-1900 is now also available in three separate paperback volumes. This volume tel…
Buy nowEvent - Courtly Style: Tudor and Stuart Dress
Sat 01 June 2013 10:00
STUDY DAY: Explore the many exquisite materials, styles and accessories associated with Tudor and Stuart dress in a day organised to coincide with the V&A's Royal Treasures: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars and the Royal Collection's In Fine Style: Tudor and Stuart Dress.
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