Our current exhibition, Majestic: Royal and Imperial Objects from the Liang Yi Collection, focusses on pieces with significant documented provenances. For this talk, Daniel, our director of silver archiving, has selected a handful of European silver artefacts with fascinating back stories connected with crowned heads of Europe.

Owing to its high value, hallmarks, and frequently engraved armorials, we are able to confidently place a piece of silver at an exact moment in time, at a particular location, and surmise a possible reason for its commission. Additionally, silver is often individually mentioned in inventories and thus, we can build a picture of its ownership through the generations.

Join us for an evening of exploring the history of some of the most intriguing pieces of silver on display in the current exhibition.

Image caption: 

A French Silver-Gilt Tray

Maker: Jean-Baptiste Claude Odiot

Paris, France

1809-14

Sivler-gilt

Width 61cm

Collection of Liang Yi Museum