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West End of London [ Cities / Institutions ]

… sights on the Strand in the eighteenth century, spaces that helped construct an intelligentsia. 3 The promotion of luxury was augmented at the beginning of the nineteenth century by the construction of Regent Street and of upmarket arcades (such as the Burlington Arcade on Piccadilly) where the elite could both window shop and sample luxury goods. The forms of display in the area allowed for the construction of identities such as the fop and, later the … 8 Such institutions often produced dining clubs where men could enjoy a spirit of conviviality. 6 . Maxine Berg, Luxury and Pleasure in Eighteenth-Century Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 207. 7 . Jonathan Harris, …

Toasting glass [ Food & Drink ]

… was an English imitation of Italian glass, which had been imported from Venice since the sixteenth century but was a luxury that very few could afford despite the foundation of a glass manufacture in London in 1574. A new luxury in the late seventeenth century, flint glass, a hard, white, high-quality product, became increasingly available … stem was used for small glasses as well as for large ceremonial goblets for communal drinking at court. 3 . Maxine Berg, Luxury and Pleasure in Eighteenth-Century Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 117-126. An example of a …

Menageries [ Sports & Leisure / Politics & Society / Social interaction ]

… exotic animals dinners fragrances macabre curiosity Royal Menageries: The Queen’s Zebra Seen as an establishment of luxury and curiosity a menagerie was, in eighteenth-century England, a collection of captive exotic animals kept by … were employed as ingredients to prepare elite delicacies, exotic fragrances and highly refined hair products epitomising luxury, gentility and respectability. In particular, the Georgians developed a real mania for the exotic turtle which was … whose waxy yellow-brown secretion exuded a strong musky odour. Perfumes and wig powders were made with civet epitomising luxury, decadence and sensuality for much of the eighteenth century. Both an aphrodisiac and a perfume, civet was perhaps …

Gaming table [ Sports & Gaming accessories ]

… dimension. Although many tables remained relatively simple in spite of their specialised function, more and more luxury gaming tables were made available throughout the eighteenth century. The technical improvements of marquetry … strong sense of intimacy if compared with wider dining tables for instance. In England, gaming tables became objects of luxury strongly inspired by the different continental trends, like those initiated by the Boulle workshop in Paris under …

Boxing [ Games & Sports ]

… acted as a counter-model to the Enlightenment values of sociability based on a belief in the benefits of trade and luxury in polishing national manners. Furthermore, pugilism often used the egalitarian argument as many pugilists came …

Conversation piece [ Art & Luxury ]

… could be represented in detail, facilitating the portrayal of tea parties, assemblies and card games. Objects > Art & Luxury Keywords Portraiture Painting William Hogarth George Vertue Card game Tea-table As the practices, objects and …