This exquisite little object is not only a beautiful work of art in its own right, but also connects us directly with the age in which it was made, speaking to us across the centuries. Made for a grand Anglo-Norman lady, Alice de Merlay (1149-1219), her name reflected in the three blackbirds (French merle) of the coat-of-arms, it is exceptionally rare as a medieval object which can be linked to a female owner. Alice de Merlay must have been a woman of great taste, as this lovely little silver seal is fashioned with such great care and attention.

Jeremy Warren, The Wallace Collection

909 holes: this table is the outcome of a daring, creative and risky engineering challenge. It is an outstanding feat of current computer assisted technology in the material sense, and of the creator’s vision and his steely determination to manipulate and release the beauty of space inherent in a large block of aluminium to create a weightless, floating illusion. Love it or not, Colander Table stands out in its time, and it will endure as an exceptional object for many generations to come.

Jacqueline Pruskin

I was surprised and gratified when John Bly, expert in antique English furniture, eloquently reasoned the case for Joe Tilson’s visually striking Ziggurat. ‘The box alone, ‘ he said ‘was worthy of consideration, carefully crafted by a cabinet maker with wood dowels used to attach one piece to another; its 18ct gold hinges and clasp were made as if jewels in their own right; the set in its box was perfectly balanced, and each wearable jewel was on its own perfectly formed with perfect, double-sided enamel work. This is an object that keeps on giving,’ he argued, ‘and it doesn’t get much better than this.’ For me it is in miniature a condensation of Tilson’s contributions to ‘60s Brit Pop Art, and is imbued with the energy and optimism of its time.