Statue of Amida

Statue of Amida

Object of the Month

Statue of Amida Japanese, 18th century Carved wood decorated with urushi lacquer and inlaid rock crystal Our April Object of the Month is this statue of the Buddha Amitabha, or Amida in Japanese. It is made from carved wood decorated in urushi lacquer with gold and...
Coffin lid of Irethoreru

Coffin lid of Irethoreru

Object of the Month

Coffin lid of Irethoreru Ancient Egyptian, 25th dynasty (760 – 656 BC) Wood, gesso, paint To celebrate re-opening and our new Egyptian Room displays, we have chosen the coffin lid of Irethoreru for our March Object of the Month. Having made its way from Egypt to Kent...
Silver locket relic set

Silver locket relic set

Object of the Month

Image by Paul Gardner Silver locket relic set early 18th centurySilver, horn, hair, paper, textile With February being the month most associated with the heart, our Object of the Month is this silver locket which is said to contain a segment of James II’s heart. The...
New Year flask

New Year flask

Object of the Month

New Year flask Ancient Egyptian, Late Period, 664 - 525 BCFaience In celebration of the New Year, our Object of the Month is this Ancient Egyptian flask inscribed ‘May the God Ptah open a good year.’ It returned to the castle last summer, having been on loan to the...
Guanyin

Guanyin

Object of the Month

Statue of Guanyin Chinese, 18th centuryGilt bronze Our Object of the Month for December is this statue of a bodhisattva known in China as Guanyin. In her hands she holds a small image of a child. In this form, Guanyin is known as ‘bringer of sons’ and is believed to...
Red lacquer writing box

Red lacquer writing box

Object of the Month

Red lacquer writing box Japanese, late 18th - late 19th centuryCarved red lacquer, black lacquer, silver, stone Our November Object of the Month is a Japanese writing box decorated in carved red urushi lacquer. The technique of carving red urushi lacquer originated in...