\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph16380 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx3255\tx6525\tx9780\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 Commonly known as the V&A, this museum houses one of the worldÆs widest
collections of fine and applied arts. The layout of the galleries on the four different floor levels is based on a bipartite division: on the one hand, art and design; and on the other, materials and techniques. Visitors can thus choose between admirin
g whole collections of particular art forms, such as tapestries, glass or porcelain, or obtaining an overall idea of the art and design of a particular period or place. For instance, the 37 galleries devoted to furniture and interior design comprise som
e fully furnished interiors that give a vivid idea of social life in a given milieu. There is also a Dress Collection that illustrates fashion from around 1600 to the present by displaying fully dressed figures complete with accessories. The MuseumÆs c
ollection of Indian art is the most extensive of its kind outside India. Many of the exhibits derive from British \b \cf4 \ATXht10701000 imperial rule\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in India. They include paintings, textiles, weapons, jewellery, metalwork and glass.
