Synopsis

For countless generations, extravagant playthings have served as conspicuous displays of wealth, power, and self-image, inspiring rulers and their followers to desire, commission, and acquire these emblems of status. From the Roman Emperor Caligula’s lavishly appointed barges to Carl Faberge’s exquisitely detailed eggs, from modern plasma screen televisions to $600,000 Bentleys and Rolex watches, we explore remarkable personal possessions—tributes to the elite within a consumer society that beco