What I did for my summer holiday
Part 2 of 3

I have always loved design. Not just jewelry but everything that involves design - architecture, furniture, clothing even garden design.

So for years I hankered for an opportunity to visit the world's greatest homage to design - the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I finally got my chance even it was for a few fleeting hours - you really need days to explore this vast place. It was everything I thought it would be. Fabulous. The entrance fee for a phenomenal amount of inspiration? Free!

The V&A as it is affectionately known celebrates 3000 years of design from many different cultures. The comprehensive collections number over 4.5 million objects covering fashion, ceramics, glass, metalwork, sculpture, textiles, prints and yes, jewelry too. A whole gallery of it.

Built in 1852, the museum itself is gorgeous combining the best of classical and modern designs. To do the place justice, I have relied on abler and generous photographers who took these beautiful shots and shared them via Creative Commons licences on Flickr (photo credits below).









Amongst the most bizarre exhibit areas is the Cast Collection. These are realistic plaster cast reproductions of famous sculptures, architectural columns and even tomb effigies. They were made in vast quantities in the 19th century for museums because few people could afford to travel in those days.

Room 46aImage via Wikipedia

The museum constantly holds exhibitions. Some past exhibitions I wished I could have seen were the ones on hats, the Golden Age of Couture (shown below), the Magnificience of the Tsars, Art Deco, Fashioning Kimonos and naturally Tiaras. Upcoming exhibitions include Quilts and Maharaja :the Splendour of India's Royal Courts.

The Golden Age Of Couture Exhibition At The V&A Museum

I do take credit for the photo below - the beautiful courtyard where visitors could rest and get some refreshments. And so can you as I will continue with the jewelry collection at the V&A in tomorrow's post.



Photo credits

Exterior : Wallyg on Flickr
Interior: Nick Garrod's V&A Museum set

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