Applied art & design

What gift did the last ruling German royal give his gay lover? A vase.

From the 1880s, Queen Victoria's first grandchild and future Emperor Wilhelm II had a relationship with Prince Philipp zu Eulenburg. This ended two decades later due to the Harden-Eulenburg affair—a journalist reporting "homosexual" conduct at court. It outed Philipp Eulenberg and enveloped Wilhelm's cabinet—ministers, courtiers and army officers—in trials, libel suits and suicides for years. The press said Wilhelm had become depressed.

The affair led Germany to discuss homosexuality—just as the Oscar Wilde trial in England. Historians tie its aftermath to German foreign policy changes that heightened military aggression and led to World War I.

In happier days, Wilhelm II gave Philipp a huge porcelain vase, decorated in 3D floral- and reptile motifs. The vase was last sold in April 2026 by auction house Lempertz, in Berlin.

#art #design #lgbtq #homosexual #lgbt #royalty #KaiserWilhelmII #vase #porcelain #auction

How did 1600s Dutch households keep their fire embers from going out at night? With a curfew.

Yes, it's a pun. Curfews were metal covers that kept fire embers smouldering overnight, to be revived for the next day's cooking and heating. The word curfew comes from the French for fire cover (couvre feu).

The brass one pictured here is among the earliest to survive, made in Holland but now in London's V&A. It's embossed with an image of Saint Lawrence.

This is dark humour, since Lawrence was roasted alive in the third century—punishment for perhaps the first Christian protest. The early church's refusal to worship Roman gods led to persecution. Lawrence was ordered to surrender the church's treasures to authorities. He turned up with the sick, marginalized, poor, elderly, and widows, boldly proclaiming: “These are the true treasures of the church.” For this insolence, he was martyred (killed).

#art #design #brass #heating #fire #religion #saint #martyr #VictoriaAndAlbert #museum #UK

How many David Bowie masks does one museum need? Apparently, over 20.

The V&A has a series of Bowie masks, some representing the different characters he played as a rockstar.

Bowie was trained in drama, mime and dance, and he understood music as performance art. He pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality during 1970s glam rock. He broke through with Ziggy Stardust, moved on to Aladdin Sane, then, in 1983, he produced his mainstream Let's Dance album and Serious Moonlight tour.

The plastic life mask, pictured, was painted to resemble Bowie's Aladdin Sane character. Aladdin Sane reflects Bowie's newfound stardom and experience touring the U.S. with images of urban decay, drugs, sex, violence, and death. Artist William Forsche painted this mask grey, with red lips, black eyelashes, and iconic lightning bolt across the face.

Have a look at more Bowie masks at the V&A by other artists: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?page=1&page_size=15&q=Bowie%2Bmask

#art #design #DavidBowie #Bowie #mask #music #VictoriaAndAlbert #museum