From the Collections

From ancient Chinese ceramics to Alexander McQueen evening dresses, take an incredible journey through 5000 years of human creativity with our online collections.

Search more than 1.25 million objects

Our Collections

Our collections showcase some of the greatest human creativity in Art, Fashion and Design. Select a topic to explore.

  1. Collection

    Cast collection
  2. Collection

    Gilbert Collection
  3. Collection

    Wedgwood
  4. Collection

    Design 1900 – Now
  5. Collection

    The Raphael Cartoons
  6. Collection

    The V&A Story
  1. Collection

    Chinoiserie
  2. Collection

    Gothic
  3. Collection

    Baroque
  4. Collection

    Palladianism
  5. Collection

    Surrealism
  6. Collection

    Neoclassicism
  7. Collection

    Art Deco
  8. Collection

    Rococo
  9. Collection

    Art Nouveau
  10. Collection

    Medieval

  11. Collection

    Post-war design
  12. Collection

    Modernism
  13. Collection

    Arts and Crafts
  14. Collection

    Aestheticism
  15. Collection

    Renaissance
  16. Collection

    Postmodernism
  17. Collection

    1960s fashion
  18. Collection

    Europe 1600 – 1815
  1. Collection

    Lee Miller
  2. Collection

    William Henry Fox Talbot
  3. Collection

    William Morris
  4. Collection

    Julia Margaret Cameron
  5. Collection

    Frederick Hollyer
  6. Collection

    Lucienne Day
  7. Collection

    Eileen Gray
  8. Collection

    Horst P. Horst
  9. Collection

    William De Morgan
  10. Collection

    Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes
  11. Collection

    Curtis Moffat
  12. Collection

    Benjamin Brecknell Turner
  13. Collection

    Grinling Gibbons
  14. Collection

    Alexander McQueen
  15. Collection

    Elsa Schiaparelli
  16. Collection

    Mary Quant
  17. Collection

    David Bowie
  18. Collection

    Cecil Beaton
  19. Collection

    Paul Strand
  20. Collection

    Garry Fabian Miller
  21. Collection

    Beatrix Potter

  22. Collection

    Vivienne Westwood

  23. Collection

    Bill Brandt
  24. Collection

    Wedgwood
  25. Collection

    Cristóbal Balenciaga

  26. Collection

    Auguste Rodin
  27. Collection

    Nicholas Hilliard
  28. Collection

    Antonio Canova
  29. Collection

    Linnaeus Tripe
  30. Collection

    Ilse Bing
  31. Collection

    John Constable
  32. Collection

    Thomas Ruff
  33. Collection

    Valérie Belin
  34. Collection

    Harry Hammond
  1. Collection

    Hats
  2. Collection

    Post-war design
  3. Collection

    Theatre & Performance

  4. Collection

    Underwear
  5. Collection

    Jewellery
  6. Collection

    Fashion
  7. Collection

    Gender & sexuality
  8. Collection

    Rapid Response Collecting
  9. Collection

    Opera
  10. Collection

    Embroidery
  11. Collection

    Artists and the Book
  12. Collection

    Architecture
  13. Collection

    Manuscripts
  14. Collection

    Furniture
  15. Collection

    The V&A Story
  16. Collection

    Costume
  17. Collection

    Glasses
  18. Collection

    Paintings

  19. Collection

    Books
  20. Collection

    The Raphael Cartoons
  21. Collection

    Wedding dress
  22. Collection

    Fashion in Motion
  23. Collection

    Wallpaper
  24. Collection

    Shoes
  25. Collection

    Frames
  26. Collection

    Digital Art & Design
  27. Collection

    The Stein Collection
  28. Collection

    The Glastonbury Festival Archive
  29. Collection

    Photography
  30. Collection

    Tiles
  1. Collection

    Textiles
  2. Collection

    Quilting and patchwork
  3. Collection

    Print
  4. Collection

    Illustration
  5. Collection

    Embroidery
  6. Collection

    Portrait miniatures
  7. Collection

    Metalwork
  8. Collection

    Photography
  9. Collection

    Watercolour
  10. Collection

    Stained glass
  11. Collection

    Drawing
  12. Collection

    Enamels
  13. Collection

    Ceramics
  14. Collection

    Posters
  15. Collection

    Books
  16. Collection

    Tapestry
  17. Collection

    Tiles
  18. Collection

    The Raphael Cartoons
  19. Collection

    Glass
  20. Collection

    Knitting
  21. Collection

    Sculpture
  22. Collection

    Paintings

  23. Collection

    Cast collection
  1. Collection

    Korea
  2. Collection

    South Asia
  3. Collection

    Japan
  4. Collection

    Europe 1600 – 1815
  5. Collection

    Islamic Middle East
  6. Collection

    China
  7. Collection

    Global Africa

In our venues

See the collections in person. For some objects not on display you can view by appointment. Our collections include the National Art Library and the V&A Archives.

  1. mechanical organ
    Tippoo's Tiger, mechanical organ, about 1793, Mysore, India
    South Kensington
    On display
  2. plaster cast of Trajan's Column
    (Detail) Trajan's column, plaster cast, by Monsieur Oudry, about 1864, Paris, France
    South Kensington
    On display
  3. bed
    The Great Bed of Ware, designed by Hans Vredeman de Vries, 1590 – 1600, Ware, England
    South Kensington
    On display
  4. 3D-printed logotype woodblock
    3D-printed Extinction Rebellion logotype woodblock
    South Kensington
  5. pride Flag
    Progress Pride flag, designed by Daniel Quasar, manufactured by Custom Flag Company Inc., 2020, Westminster
    South Kensington
  6. evening ensemble
    (Detail) Pérou evening ensemble, designed by Christian Dior, by Bodin Brossin, 1954, Paris, France
    South Kensington
  7. Costumes
    Costumes for 'Le Train Bleu', designed by Coco Chanel, 1924
    South Kensington
  1. plate
    'Variations on a Geometric Theme' plate, designed by Eduardo Paolozzi, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1970, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
  2. vase
    Portland Vase, by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1793, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  3. painting
    Wedgwood family portrait, oil painting, by George Stubbs, 1780, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  4. vase
    Lessore Vase, painted by Emile Aubert Lessore, made by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, about 1863, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  5. yellow and black oval medallion
    Anti-slavery medallion, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1787, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
  6. teapot in the shape of a cauliflower
    Teapot moulded in the shape of a cauliflower, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1765, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  7. trial tray
    Jasperware trials mounted on a wooden tray, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1773 – 76, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  8. teapot
    Teapot, designed by Douglas Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1906
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  9. Detail of brightly coloured bowl
    Detail of 'Fairyland Lustre' bowl, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1923, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
    V&A Wedgwood Collection
    On display
  1. installation
    Place (Village), installation, by Rachel Whiteread, about 1995 – 2015, London
    Young V&A
    On display
  2. installation
    Planetarium, installation, by Tristan Blondeau, 2023, Paris, France
    Young V&A
    On display
  3. print
    The Self-Portrait, print, by Quentin Blake, 2010, UK
    Young V&A
    On display
  4. dolls' house
    Bettiscombe, dolls' house, about 1870, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  5. soft toy
    Pikachu, soft toy, manufactured by Deutshe Toy GMBH, 1995 – 99, Munich, Germany
    Young V&A
    On display
  6. bionic arm
    'Hero Arm', Open Bionics, 3D printed bionic arm for a child, Bristol, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  7. computer
    Amstrad CPC 464 Computer, manufactured by Amstrad, 1984, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  8. film hoarding
    Devdas, film hoarding, by Balkrishna Arts, 2002, London, England
    Young V&A
    On display
  9. toys
    Death Star, designed by Bjarke Lykke Madsen, designed by Bas Brederode, manufactured by The LEGO Group, 2011 – 12, Denmark
    Young V&A
    On display
  1. ensemble
    Cut, Slash & Pull, ensemble, by Vivienne Westwood, 1990, England
    East Storehouse
  2. powder bowl
    Powder bowl, made by Halex Ltd, 1930 – 39, Walthamstow, London, England
  3. corset
    Corset, maker unknown, 1895 – 1900, possibly made in Germany or England
    East Storehouse
  4. t-shirt
    Hackney Lesbian Strength and Gay Pride 1993, t-shirt, maker unknown, 1993, England
  5. silk programme
    Silk programme printed for the 'Grand Opening Night' of the Empire Palace Theatre Stratford, London, designer unknown, 1899, London, England
  6. tracksuit
    Tracksuit showing scenes from the 2011 East London riots, by SIBLING, 2012, London, England
    South Kensington