British Museum Receives $1.2 B. Worth of Chinese Ceramics
The British Museum has been gifted one of the world’s most prodigious collections of Chinese ceramics, worth £1 billion ($1.27 billion), in what is likely the highest-value donation of art ever received by a UK museum. The 1,700-piece collection—including a wine cup painted with chickens from the Ming Dynasty—was donated by the trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation and has been on long-term loan to the London museum in a dedicated gallery since 2009. Such a high-value donation of art is uncommon in the UK; the last headline-making gift received by the British Museum was a bequest from a late trustee worth £123 million, or $156 million. Related Articles Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, called the Percival ceramics an “incomparable private collection.” He added: “These celebrated objects add a special dimension to our own collection and together offer scholars, researchers and visitors around the world the incredible opportunity to study and enjoy the very best examples of Chinese craftsmanship anywhere in existence.” Percival David was born in 1892 in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) …
