Extraordinary pieces in mixed media include the towering figure of Dame Alice Owen in marble, alabaster, bronze, paint and gilding; a fabulous unfurling bronze triptych by Mary Seton Watts of "Death Crowning Innocence"; and the show's crowning glory, an immense game of chess between Queen Elizabeth I and Philip II of Spain by William Reynolds-Stephens.
This led them to a pit below, filled with over 400 sculptures: dozens of broken heads and hands and over 200 virtually intact torsos, many of exceptional condition and quality, in several styles and with unusually well-preserved gilding and paint.
The passages of explorative sex are just the decorative gilding that sets this apart from countless Mills & Boons.
Jails in rich places offer clean cells and adequate food, but those that promise more particular rights are increasingly found elsewhere.In this section The nanny state Gilding the cage ReprintsTake the right to vote.
Investments in timber land proved a good hedge against inflation, and often did well when stocks on Wall Street fared poorly.In this section Gilding the elite Reading the tea-leaves Sub-standard Deadly beauty Dog days Et in Suncadia ego Struggling towards Ursprache The odd man out ReprintsNow all that has changed.
The city's biggest attraction, the shrine of Imam Ali, is getting new gilding on its dome.
But some, such as the fine mirror sculptures, are certainly enhanced by it: seeing the gallery's gilding and skylight reflected upside-down in these pieces adds to their enjoyment.
The effect of this was to destroy the surface, including traces of the original painting, gilding and waxing and the marks of the sculptors' chisels.
The coach he commissioned for his investiture gives a sense of his wealth and ambition: it cost £1,000, more than the vehicle used at the time for royal coronations, and was smothered with elaborately carved curlicues, garlands, scallop shells and cherubs, all carapaced in gilding.
In English, that would usually be "Dear", and in most cases "Mr" or "Ms", closing with a "Best wishes", perhaps even gilding the lily with a "with".
But one cheerful fact unites these dreary places big children's homes are falling out of fashion.In this section The nanny state Gilding the cage ReprintsIn Romania, once notorious for its decrepit orphanages, the number of children living in institutions has dropped from more than 32,000 in 2004 to about 9,000 last year.
