Personal Favourite: A Royal Christening Gift in the Gilbert Collection and Other Christening Gifts in the Victoria and Albert Museum With Dr. Tessa Murdoch

The spectacular Christening Cup and Cover presented by George II to his goddaughter Lady Emily Lennox in 1731 will be placed in the context of Emily’s colourful family history: Emily featured in Stella Tillyard’s best-selling book Aristocrats. This royal silver gift will star in the Best of British Silver exhibition at the Liang Yi Museum which opens in Hong Kong on 21 March. It was made by the speaker’s maternal ancestor, the Huguenot goldsmith Edward Feline, who worked in London’s Covent Garden. Dr. Tessa Murdoch will introduce other Christening gifts in the V&A collections and demonstrate that contemporary goldsmiths whose work is included in the new Hong Kong exhibition, are still producing appropriate gifts in silver to celebrate new life.

Note: This lecture is a prelude to the Museum Society’s upcoming visit to the Liang Yi Museum to see this special collection of British Silver.

Resource Person
Dr. Tessa Murdoch is Deputy Keeper at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass. She has lectured and published extensively on European decorative arts, and silverware in particular. Her particular focus is on the important historical impact of Huguenot silversmiths in London, and she has organized exhibitions on this illustrious topic. Dr. Murdoch was instrumental in bringing the prestigious Gilbert Collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum and she is overseeing, studying and presenting this large treasure to the public.