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The Waddesdon Bequest (Room 45)
16th – 17th centuries AD
From 19 November to 23 February 2013 this gallery will be closed
The Waddesdon Bequest is a collection of nearly 300 precious art objects from Renaissance Europe. It was bequeathed to the British Museum by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, M.P., when he died in 1898. The Bequest is named after Waddesdon Manor, the mansion he built in Buckinghamshire, England, where the collection was housed during his lifetime.
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Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry, AD 1400-10
More informationHoly Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry, AD 1400-10
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Rosary bead, AD 1500-30
More informationRosary bead, AD 1500-30
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The Lyte Jewel, AD 1610-11
More informationThe Lyte Jewel, AD 1610-11
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Silver-gilt ewer and basin, mid-16th century AD
More informationSilver-gilt ewer and basin, mid-16th century AD
The collection was accumulated by Baron Ferdinand and by his father, Baron Anselm, and was intended to rival those put together by rulers and princes from the Renaissance onwards. It is mainly made up of small-scale, rare and precious pieces of the highest quality which were intended to inspire a sense of curiosity and wonder.
Objects on display in Room 45 include masterpieces of goldsmiths' work, painted enamels, glass and ceramics, sculpture and small carvings in wood.
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Delightful satirical cartoons and sketches, £9.99