British Museum Receives £1 Billion Donation of Rare Chinese Ceramics

The British Museum has received a private collection of Chinese ceramics estimated at approximately £1 billion GBP ($1.27 billion USD) — the highest-value object gift in UK museum history. Donated by the trustees of the Sir Percival David, the collection spans 1,700 rare finds dating from the third to the 20th century.

Marking 100 years since Sir Percival David’s first trip to China, the donation made fitting timing. The host of gems culminates the life-long efforts of David, a British businessman who began assembling his collection during his travels in Europe and Asia. In hope of inspiring and informing the public, he was determined to keep the pieces accessible even after his death.

“This is the largest bequest to the British Museum in our long history,” notes museum chairman George Osborne. “It’s a real vote of confidence in our future.” The pieces had been on loan since 2009 though with their newly permanent placement, the institution now holds one of the most important public collections of Chinese ceramics outside the Chinese-speaking world, totaling 10,000 works.

Highlights from the collection include the blue-and-white “David vases” from 1351, a 15th century porcelain “chicken cup” used by Emperor Chenghua and several Ru wares crafted for the Northern Song dynasty court around 1086.