Heads turning

Today it was a very dreary day - drizzle everywhere! I learnt  via Instagram that it was similar weather in Portland, Oregon via  the wonderful John Plummer but I digress. We decided that due to the weather that we would go to the V&A to see their new Photographers Gallery as advertised on the Time Out website only to find when we arrived it was closed for a new installation. Not a great start! So instead I dragged OH up to the Ceramics floor which I posted about in Fragile Days earlier in the year.

But first we walked through the sculpture gallery which I'm not sure I've ever seen before. That's the problem with the V&A, it's so vast, and wonderful you're never quite sure if you've walked through some galleries and simply not noticed it's content as you're trying to get to something specific or whether it's completely new. 

But some of these pieces though quite small were quite astonishing.

Beautiful

And the attention to detail was mindblowing - just look how intracate this depiction of death is and it's only about 10 inches high! 

By the time we got up to the Ceramics Gallery on the Sixth Floor I think OH had lost interest but was still able to take a few snaps. I love these chess pieces. Yes I've photographed them before but how could you not love them!

With a lovely close up of a contemporary piece by Richard Slee who if memory serves me well won the Jerwood Prize for Ceramics one year. 

And I love the cabinets that have rows  upon rows of items go back at least 6 rows back.

And finally OH did spot this chamber pot with a wierd face at the bottom. That's what I love about the V&A, no matter how well you know the museum there is always something that you missed before. And for those that know me, I'm afraid I didn't go to the Hollywood Costume exhibition with the real, yes that's REAL, ruby slippers worn in the Wizard of Oz. I have to find another day to go without OH as it really isn't his cup of tea.....