THIS IS A buoyant moment for the study and critical appreciation of British art. An ambitious new Director is now in place at Tate Britain, and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in London has significantly expanded its programme of activities. Not only is the PMC, as it is now identifies itself in its new thrice-yearly brochure, intent on setting new intellectual and creative benchmarks with its British Art Studies, an online journal launched last November in association with its parent organisation in America, the Yale Center for British Art at New Haven, but it has also expanded its foothold in London.

INDIA IS ONE of the world’s most influential producers of fabric. The exhibition The Fabric of India at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (to 10th January), explores India’s multifaceted world of handmade textiles from the third century up to the present day. More than two hundred exhibits tell a story of invention, artistry and beauty, ranging from raw cotton and undyed cloths to one of the highlights, the magnificent royal tent of Tipu Sultan, the eighteenth-century ruler of Mysore.

(to 10th January), explores India’s multifaceted world of handmade textiles from the third century up to the present day. More than two hundred exhibits tell a story of invention, artistry and beauty, ranging from raw cotton and undyed cloths to one of the highlights, the magnificent royal tent of Tipu Sultan, the eighteenth-century ruler of Mysore.