Collection: Chiddingstone Castle

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Denys Eyre Bower, an antiques dealer and collector, bought the Castle in 1955 to open his collection of art and antiquities to the public.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collections hold approximately 4,000 objects, under four main categories: Japanese, Ancient Egyptian, Buddhist, and Stuart/Jacobite. There are also hundreds of other objects that do not fall into these categories such as paintings, clocks, furniture, and documentation relating to local history.

  The Japanese collection: includes lacquerware, swords, amour, ceramics, and prints from the 6th to the 20th century. The lacquer collection is considered one of the most important in the UK.

  The Ancient Egyptian collection: spans the pre-dynastic period (prior to 3100 BC) until the Ptolemaic period (around 330 BC).

  The Buddhist collection: the smallest of the four main collections (around 150 objects) including figures of the Buddha, prayer wheels, wall hangings, and portable shrines. About half of it is Tibetan, Sino-Tibetan, or Nepalese-Tibetan and the remainder is from a variety of countries, illustrating the spread of Buddhism. The objects are dated from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

  The Stuart/Jacobite collection: portraits of the Royal Kings and Queens; coins and medals; prints; memorabilia; snuff and tobacco boxes; letters and other documents; and Jacobite pamphlets. The collection of documents and papers is one of the best in the country. It includes holograph letters, privy documents, and estate papers.

  The Castle also holds invaluable information on the history of the local area, its inhabitants, and Denys Bower’s life.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC