Past Exhibitions

Andrew Prince has created jewellery for stage and screen, including many of the opulent pieces worn by the main characters in the acclaimed television series Downton Abbey and the 2019 film of the same name (Carnival Films and Focus Features), as well as for the cast of The Young Victoria, Mrs Henderson Presents, Muppets Most Wanted (Miss Piggy) and for celebrities including Michael Jackson and Shirley Bassey.

An extensive selection of these exquisite costume jewellery pieces, from tiaras to chokers, earrings and necklaces, created for and worn in these productions, were on show at Firle Place as part of Crowning Glory.

The historic room settings of Firle Place served as the perfect period backdrop for this glittering exhibition about the enduring appeal, opulence and romance of the tiara.

This exquisite collection of 11 Regency costumes and a myriad of accompanying accessories, has been created by the hands of decorative paper textile artist Stephanie Smart, but all is not as it first appears… Astonishingly each of the items in the entire collection, from dresses and shoes, to fans, jackets and bonnets, have been entirely made from only paper and thread.

The exhibition re-interprets the popular Regency art form of the paper cut silhouette and also responds to the history of Firle Place, with one piece uniquely inspired by one of the most famous parts of our historic collection.

The exhibition was displayed throughout the house, using the historic room settings, (many still featuring their confection of Regency colours from the film of EMMA), as the perfect period backdrop for the costumes.

The exhibition culminated in a beautiful ball dress in-situ on a Regency style chalked floor – an ephemeral art almost lost to time. Frequently created for Regency balls, (initially for the safety of the dancers whose shoes could slip on the floors), chalking the floor brought a new transient dimension to the ballroom decorations, which would turn to dust over the course of the evening.