London’s Victoria & Albert Museum never fails to amaze! The museum has the world’s largest collection of applied arts, decorative arts, and design with over 2.8 million objects in the permanent collection. This has always been one of my very favorite museums in the world.

The entry features a 34′ blown glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly.

The Central Garden.

A view of the V & A with the 1627 sculpture of the “Rape of Proserpina ” by Italian artist, Giovanni Lorenzo.

Every gallery contains something beautiful and fascinating.

It is exciting to see this piece again after many years!

Now you can see why we were enthralled with finding a similar piece in Northern Thailand. We donated it to the Denver Art Museum years later. It was put on permanent display when the Asian Art Galleries were renovated in 2021.

Marla has always admired Guanyin sculptures. This is “Bodhisattva Guanyin”, from a temple in Shanxi provence, China, 1200 AD.

Standing Buddha, 1700 – 1800, Myanmar (Burma).

The glittering “Silver Galleries”.

Mary showed Marla and me one of her favorites, the jewelry gallery. The V&A has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of jewelry in the world. Over 3,000 jewels tell the story of jewelry in Europe from ancient times to the present day.

Fascinating stairs to the second level.

This is Queen Victoria’s coronet and diamond necklace.

Drawers pull out with more treasures.

Peridot and diamond necklace around 1850.

“Too much?” Small sword & scabbard owned by Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, 1757.

Beautiful vanity case with clock. Made in Paris 1929, by Strauss, Allard, & Meyer.

This was our first visit to see the “Cast Courts”. Watch the video below.

Wonderful galleries are all worth exploring.

“Art lovers?” Well, possibly,….but these people were lined up to see the “Taylor Swift Songbook Trail” at the V & A.

Thank you Mary & Jerry for a fabulous experience seeing some of your London favorites!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.