The British Museum in London has just received the most valuable object donation in British museum history. A total of 1,700 new pieces have been added to the museum’s collection, with an estimated value of £1 billion (€1.2 billion). These items include ceramics from Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. The donation, made by the Sir Percival David Foundation, significantly enhances the British Museum’s collection of 10,000 Chinese ceramics, making it the largest outside of the Chinese-speaking world.

Sir Percival David, a British financier born in 1892, spent his life traveling across Asia and collecting ceramics. He began his collection in 1913 and continued until his death in 1964. Committed to making his entire collection publicly accessible, it has been on display in the museum’s Room 95 since 2009 on loan. In 1952, David articulated his philosophy of collecting as “providing very necessary pabulum for the art critic and the art expert,” suggesting that his pieces could either prove to be significant or reveal new classes of ware.

This recent donation marks the official transfer of the entire collection to the British Museum, commemorating the 100th anniversary of David’s first trip to China. As part of the museum’s global outreach, ceramics from the collection will be lent to the Shanghai Museum in China and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Notable pieces include the “David” vases from 1351, which were crucial in dating the introduction of blue and white ceramics, a 15th-century “Chicken cup” used to serve wine to the Chenghua emperor, and Ru wares from the 1086 Song dynasty court.

Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, the museum’s director, expressed his excitement, stating that these objects “add a special dimension to our own collection and 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.” George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, also praised the decision, calling it “the largest bequest to the British Museum in our long history” and a “real vote of confidence in our future.” This donation comes at a pivotal moment as the museum embarks on its most significant cultural redevelopment.

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