A LATE VICTORIAN MOTHER-OF-PEARL MODEL OF ASTON HALL, BIRMINGHAM

Aston Hall, built for Sir Thomas Holt after the design by John Thorpe between 1618 and 1635, is one of the finest examples of Jacobean architecture in England and one of the last great prodigy houses to be erected. As such, its main purpose was to showcase the wealth and position of its owners and to house the sovereign while touring across the country. The building remained in the possession of the Holt family until 1817 and changed ownership numerous times afterwards. Aston Hall is now a community museum managed by the Birmingham Museums Trust.