A highlights Tour of the Victoria & Albert Museum with a Blue Badge Guide

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Once described by one of the Museum's curators as the world's most "capacious handbag," come and get lost amongst this absolute treasure trove of decorative arts from all over the world. This is one where you really do need a Blue Badge Tourist Guide to show you some of the highlights from the Chinese, Japanese, Islamic, Indian, Renaissance and British galleries. There are also galleries dedicated to specific materials such as glass, silver, wood and glass.
We will show you some of the V & A's highlights including some of the following: 

• The Glass Sculpture by Dale Chihuly that hangs from the ceiling in the entrance hall is not to be missed and absolutely breathtaking. 
• Tippoo’s Tiger is one of the most well-known  and fascinating objects in the collection, created for Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore in South India from 1782 to 1799.  The tiger is a  virtually life-sized semi automaton of a European soldier being mauled by a tiger, but hidden inside is an organ which can be operated and produces noises imitating his moans.
• The Ardabil carpet from Iran is  considered to be  the world’s oldest dated carpet
• The Great Bed of Ware was created in about 1590 as a tourist attraction and is 3 metres wide. It is probably the most famous exhibit in the museum and was even mentioned by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night (1601)
• Henry VIII’s writing desk - a rare survivor from this period, it is lined with leather and painted with the heraldic badges of Henry and his first Queen, Katherine of Aragon. 
• William Morris collection - one of the most famous names in British design, his wallpapers and textiles form only a small part of what he created.
• Robert Adam is another British architect of the 18th century who introduced the neoclassical style into Britain. We look at some of his furniture.