Victoria and Albert Museum

Visit London's V&A Museum for Quilts: 1700- 2010

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

If you're looking for a crafty excuse to visit London in the next few months, I've got a good one for you: Quilts 1700 - 2010, a new exhibit opening at the V&A Museum.

The exhibit, which opens March 20th and runs through July 4th, focuses on quilts both historic and contemporary. The quilt pictured above, "At the End of the Day", is a 2007 creation of artist Natasha Kerr; historic quilts include those commemorating the lives of Admiral Lord Nelson, Charles II and the Duke of Wellington, among others.

(Bonus for fans of Tracy Chevalier, who wrote the novel Girl with the Pearl Earring, which became a movie starring Scarlett Johansson -- she's written a story based on the George 111 quilt, which is in the museum's magazine. There's a great video of her research process here.)

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Tags: art, fiber, london, montreal, museums, quilt, quilt exhibit, quilts, scarlett johansson, ScarlettJohansson, Victoria and Albert Museum

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The Splendor of India's Royal Courts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Books, Wealth

Newly published to accompany a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts examines the rich world of the famed Indian princes from the early 18th century to 1947, when they formally ceded their territories to the modern states of India and Pakistan. Everything from incredible jewels to custom made Rolls-Royce motorcars, paintings, textiles, metalwork, and furniture is examined in the lavishly-illustrated book, showcasing the rich and varied objects that reflect different aspects of royal life. The aim is to "give readers an understanding of royal status and identity, court culture, and patronage." Particular maharajas are highlighted alongside essays by international scholars exploring "Indian concepts of kingship, the public aspects of princely life, architecture of the princely court, palace life and recreation, and the important role of the princes as patrons of traditional arts."

Tags: India, London, Maharaja, royalty, Victoria and Albert Museum, VictoriaAndAlbertMuseum