A well-decorated Victorian parlour room wouldn’t be complete without at least one artifact to demonstrate your worldliness. Wallpaper and silk dressing gowns in cherry blossom brocade, a decorative vase with mythical beasts coiling around its sides, or tea set decorated with domestic scenes in foreign lands were all good choices to prominently display your status and keep up with the latest trends in design. How did this era-defining obsession with everything East Asian come to be when the continent remained so far out of reach for so many? Join Inés Bonacossa for “On the Dragon’s Trail” and explore how tales of beautiful faraway lands sparked the imaginations of everyone from artists, craftspeople, and homemakers in the Victorian era.

Accessibility

The lectures take place entirely in the Visitors’ Centre. The Visitors’ Centre is wheelchair accessible and has level access.

For additional access information, please see our Event Access Guide (link opens in a new window) and our Accessibility page (link opens in a new window).