The word 'maharaja' - literally 'great king' - conjures up a vision of splendour and magnificence. This book examines the real and perceived worlds of the maharaja from the early eighteenth century to 1947, when the Indian Princes ceded their territories into the modern states of India and Pakistan.

From recipes for plague amulets to aphrodisiacs and formulas for things from lip balm to paint pigments, this book takes you into the secret world of Renaissance trades and explains why certain recipes were jealously guarded whilst others were printed for a new popular readership.

Leonardo never lost his awe of the wonders of natural design and this ground-breaking book communicates a comparable sense of wonder through the continued grandeur and freshness of Leonardo's incomparable vision. This title presents a study that illuminates the fundamental aspect of Leonardo's work - how he thought visually.

'You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes', according to Vivienne Westwood. A global icon, Vivienne Westwood's career has spanned three decades from the early days of punk to the successful establishment of her own fashion house. This book is a study of her work as a ground-breaking fashion designer.

Showcases the opulence and variety of 19th-century fashion through colour photography and line drawings of the garments. This book reveals the period from the embroidery on neoclassical gowns to the colours of crinolines and the tailoring of men's coats. It also reveals the garments that illustrate some of the major themes of 19th-century dress.

Chinese ceramics are among the most widely admired and collected in the world. From elegant Song celadons to decorative Ming vases and colourful Qing famille rose, ceramics produced in China have influenced taste and daily life globally. This book looks at the production, consumption, aesthetics and transfer of Chinese ceramics.

Tipu's Tiger is one of the V&A's most enduringly famous and fascinating objects. Commissioned in the 1790s by Tipu Sultan of Mysore, who kept the spectacular wooden semi-automaton in the music room of his palace, the tiger was shipped to London after Tipu was killed in 1799. This book explores the continuing appeal of Tipu Sultan's tiger.

Part of the V&A Fashion in Detail series, this book illustrates the intricate details of twentieth-century fashion with photographs, expert commentaries and line drawings.

Explores the social contexts responsible for some of V&A museum's most captivating objects, both commonplace and precious, to recover the attitudes of makers and owners towards artistic practice. This book also presents a general historical introduction to the social and political background that explore conceptions of art, workshops and sales.

In 1947 Christian Dior rocked the fashion world with his New Look which dominated post war fashion and firmly secured the name of his house in the minds of the public and the fashion industry. This book examines the seminal years of Christian Dior, 1947-1957, from an international perspective.

Offers a view of the world of millinery. This work examines the inspiration behind the creation of hats and the history of their construction.

Celebrates V&A's status as a source of inspiration for designers, reflecting the breadth and depth of a collection that represents over 3,000 years of objects from all over the world.

Reveals the secrets of style and covers topics from what to wear to a wedding and how to tie a scarf to how to walk with grace.

An introduction to the artefacts produced around the Indian courts, for the wealthy bourgeoisie and for trade. Separate sections cover the arts of Mughal India, the Mughals, the Deccans, the Rajputs, the Europeans in India, Indian provincial courts after 1750 and the Great Exhibitions and their influence.

This history of fashion reflects the popularity of the V&A Museum's world famous dress collection. It tells the story of men's and women's fashionable dress through the ages, covering clothes for all occasions and including a wide range of accessories such as shoes, fans and hats.

Lee Miller (1907-77) was not only one of the great beauties of the twentieth century but one of its remarkable photographic artists, performing with brilliance on both sides of the camera. Miller conceived many Surrealist-inspired photographs of haunting originality; she was a portraitist of genius and an inspired and daring war photographer.

Presents highlights from the V&A's extensive collection of Japanese textiles and dress, which is one of the finest in the West. This book explores the various techniques that have been employed by Japanese textile artists in the production of woven, printed and embroidered textiles since the seventeenth century.

Reveals the decorative seams, exquisite stitching, voluptuous drapery, strict corseting and slashing and stamping that make up the clothing in the V&A's superlative seventeenth and eighteenth-century fashion collection. This work is suitable for students, designers, collectors and followers of fashion.

Taking examples from various media and genres, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of Baroque, tracing its development from Rome, centre of Papal and princely power.

The history of ceramics is extraordinarily diverse, ranging from crude clay utensils to highly decorative pieces of immense beauty and craftsmanship. This book highlights key developments, techniques, discoveries and styles - from earthenware, stoneware and tin-glaze to the invention of porcelain and the impact of industrialisation.