A wintery Sunday morning is a good time to visit the V&A, so off we went to see 'Masterpieces of Chinese Painting'. Unexpectedly there was also an exhibition called 'Pearls'and we looked in there first.
It is very comprehensive and beautifully curated, showing the growth of natural and cultured pearls, portraits of wearers, jewellery and many videos to watch. I was particularly impressed with a machine on video which held and drilled through pearls on a production line. And of course you must stop and see the ceremony for the souls of all the oysters which died in the cause.
Some of the exhibits were in fabulous antique cabinets, on loan from a Swiss Bank. By contrast the Chinese Painting exhibition did not engage us for long so we headed for the café.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/c/current-exhibitions/
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