ArtsNational lecture – BOTTOMS UP! A HISTORY OF WINE, ITS RITUALS AND VESSELS

Presented by Andy McConnell – author of the acclaimed tome The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass From 1650. He followed this in 2006 with Miller’s’ 20th Century Glass. He writes regularly for journals as diverse as The Times and Glass Circle News and runs Britain’s largest antique and vintage glass gallery in Rye, Sussex. He is best known as the distinctly humorous glass specialist on BBC’s evergreen Antiques Roadshow.

A light-hearted talk examines the history of wine, an elixir that has sustained much of humanity for almost 10,000 years. Tracing the story of wine: from its humble beginnings in rotting grapes before the Bronze Age to the present when single bottles can change hands for thousands of pounds. It examines the extraordinary diversity of paintings and artefacts, including drinking vessels, created by some of history’s greatest artists and craftsmen to enhance the pleasure of wine, and impress guests. Covering the ancient societies of Egypt, Greece and Rome, travels through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and 18th century Britain.

Tickets $30

Students: free