Stories of the World: Cultures Now and Then

This major exhibition will highlight domestic objects, everything from delicate Chinese tea bowls to turkey-work chairs, that have come from overseas or been influenced by other cultures to tell a fascinating story about how many of the designs, decorations, materials and social customs that we are familiar with in our homes today and that we consider to be 'English' may have originated somewhere else.Visitors will be encouraged to engage in a dialogue about their homes and to think about them afresh, exploring how other cultures have shaped our personal spaces, our ideas about 'what makes a home' and about the way we live.