HISTORY OF ROYAL BRITAIN IN 100 OBJECTS

A stunningly beautiful visual timeline which begins with Alfred the Great in the 9th century, journeying through to the 21st century with objects which best represent the kings and queens who have ruled. Crowns, statues and coins immediately spring to mind but so too do golden coaches, castles, paintings, flags, letters, jewellery and much more besides: even the occasional photograph becomes the object itself in the desire to tell the intriguing royal tale. One of the most precious and popular exhibits in Oxford's Ashmolean Museum is King Alfred's Jewelled Aestel, one of the most significant ancient royal relics ever discovered, a tear drop-shaped piece of jewellery found in 1693 in a ploughed up field in Somerset not far from where Alfred the Great in 878 took refuge from the Vikings. Made of rock crystal embellished with enamel and gold, the goldsmithing is so intricate that it is believed to have been the work of a master craftsman. At the base of the piece is a dragon-like head and the cloisonné enamelled character was originally thought to depict Christ, but it may depict sight as it shows a man holding plants. There are illuminated manuscripts, the Edgar Window in Bath Abbey depicting a coronation in glass, the Abingdon Chronicle, a mortuary chest in Winchester Cathedral, Edward the Confessor's Shrine at Westminster Abbey, the Round Tower at Windsor Castle created for William the Conqueror's 11th century fortress, the Rufus Stone in the New Forest marking the spot where William II was fatally wounded by an arrow, the Royal Seal of Approval, ornate gates and castles, crosses and tombs, a monument to the popular Scottish King James IV, and exquisite miniatures of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard set in an enamelled golden lockets embellished with diamonds and rubies. 216 magnificent pages from Pitkin publishers, 19 x 24cm. Over 100 colour images.
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