Thangka of Vajravarahi

Thangka of Vajravarahi

Object of the Month

Thangka of Vajravarahi With inscription by Ratna VijayTibet, 18th centuryPainted cotton with silk brocade border Our October Object of the Month is an 18th-century thangka, a type of Tibetan painting. This thangka depicts the female Buddhist deity Vajravarahi, a form...
Inro with a cat

Inro with a cat

Object of the Month

Inro Signed Koma Yasuaki Japanese, 19th century Lacquerware September’s Object of the Month is this beautiful lacquer four-case inrō decorated in fundame (dense gold powder) and nashiji (meaning ‘pear skin’ as the sprinkled texture of the gold flakes...
Portable shrine

Portable shrine

Object of the Month

Portable shrine of Aizen Myō-ō Japanese, 18th or 19th centuryLacquered, carved, and painted wood Our object of the month is a lacquered wood object which is sometimes called a ‘pocket shrine’ or a ‘hand shrine’. The tiny shrine consists of two halves which come...
Headrest

Headrest

Object of the Month

Headrest Ancient Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, c.2040 - 1750 BC or New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1550 – 1292 BCWood Our object of the month for July was used around 3,000 years ago to make life easier in the hot, desert climate of Ancient Egypt. It is a wooden headrest...
Stuart spectacles

Stuart spectacles

Object of the Month

Pair of spectacles with leather case European, 18th centuryGlass, metal, leather, marbled card If you visit the castle’s Print Room, you will spot a pair of spectacles on display amongst highlights from the Stuart and Jacobite collection. The spectacles date from the...
Tobacco pouch set

Tobacco pouch set

Object of the Month

Tobacco set Japanese, 19th centuryWood and inlaid shell Our object of the month for May is a tobacco set which is on display in the Japanese Room after a long period in storage. The set includes a wooden tobacco pouch with a pipe holder attached to it with a silk...