London’s V&A has opened a new display celebrating the opulence and ornamentation of vase sets taken from some of Britain’s most beautiful National Trust properties. These groups of rare, decadently designed ceramics will be on show until April 30, 2017.Named garnitures, these were among the most prominent status symbols for two centuries, with stately homes displaying sets of these ornamental vases “unified by their design and a specific context.” Due to their fragile nature, and their going out of social style after the 19th century, few complete sets are left. However, working with 13 different National Trust properties, as well as delving into their own extensive collections, the museum has assembled a number of sets. These are joined by other items that put them into context.Among the highlights of the show are a garniture of five Chinese porcelain jars and vases which had a lucky escape from a fire in April 2015 at a house at Clandon Park in Surrey. Another standout is notable for a different kind of heating up: according to the V&A, the 18th century, seven-piece set is “painted with avant-garde, highly erotic mythological scenes.” This set, which was housed in Kent’s Knole House in the 1850s but has now been allocated for display by the National Trust in Warwickshire’s Upton House, is perhaps the most famous garniture in the UK, perhaps due to its racy nature.Discussing the bringing together of these sets from so many sources, National Trust ceramics expert Patricia F. Ferguson notes that “this display promises to change the way you see historic vases; they were almost always designed to be part of a set.”“Garnitures: Vase Sets from National Trust Houses” is on view through April 30, 2017.
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