Strawberry Hill House is internationally famous as Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture.
It is with great regret, that due to unforeseen circumstances the Treasures from Faraway exhibition has now closed (rather than closing on the 19th July as planned). We offer our sincere apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience caused by this decision.
Treasures from Faraway: Medieval and Renaissance Objects from The Schroder Collection
19 March – 19 July 2023
An exhibition of ten objects reveals the often-overlooked relationship between Europe’s explorers and traders with artisans and craftsmen to create Cabinets of Curiosities.
Our next In Focus display shines a spotlight on how diverse natural materials, from coconuts to rock crystal, along with trade networks with Asia and the Far East created new opportunities for European craftspeople to make objects of wonder for their wealthy patrons.
The aristocratic habit of collecting valuable objects to create what were known as Cabinets of Curiosities, Schatzkammer or Studioli (respectively in Britain, Germany and Italy) developed in the courts of Northern and Southern Europe during the Renaissance.
A Cabinet of Curiosities usually comprised of anything its owner deemed to be unique, exotic or valuable and therefore, worthy of collecting; including items from the natural world, alongside works of art and antiquities. As a microcosm, the Cabinet of Curiosities symbolically conveyed its patron’s knowledge of the wider world through its indoor, miniscule reproduction.
In the 17th-century, the presence of exotic materials increased, especially due to Portuguese maritime explorations and the activities of the Dutch and English East India Company. The expansion of the Ottoman Empire was also a major contributory factor.
The combination of rare and exotic materials and the skilled craftsmanship of Western goldsmiths is the starting point for Treasures from Faraway here at Strawberry Hill House, which has been uniquely invited to display a selection of exceptional objects from this tradition, collected by several generations of the Schroder family. Highlights include the Grandmont Reliquary, a 16th-century English ewer and a tankard from Southern Germany, all of which feature beautiful rock crystal elements.
Tickets included in general admission.
Nuremberg Nautilus, The Schroder Collection.
Strawberry Hill House is internationally famous as Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture.
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