Silver tea service

Part of a gift to 19 museums by Joan Hurst through the Art Fund in 2002. The decision to move from her 16th-century house near Eltham Palace in South London led Joan Hurst to donate much of her collection to the Art Fund for presentation to public collections. This magnificent gift consists of an eclectic range of items spanning some 800 years, and its sheer scale and variety-over 300 items, including textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, toys and nursery furniture, sculpture, paintings and drawings- reflects the wide-ranging tastes of this inveterate collector.