The Charity Commission has officially approved the largest donation in the British Museum’s history—a collection of Chinese ceramics valued at around £1 billion.
The Sir Percival David Foundation announced in November 2024 its intention to make a permanent gift of its 1,700-piece collection to the museum. The collection, currently on loan since 2009, has been displayed in Room 95, drawing millions of visitors.
To complete the donation, the Foundation required regulatory approval, as its governing document didn’t initially allow for such a transfer. The Charity Commission has now granted the authority under the Charities Act, enabling a change in the Foundation’s rules to allow the transfer to go ahead.
The Foundation's trustees believe the move supports their mission—preserving the collection, keeping it publicly accessible, and promoting academic study, all while reducing the costs of maintenance.
Sir Percival David (1892–1964), a British businessman and passionate collector, sourced the ceramics from Europe, China, Japan, and Hong Kong. His vision was to preserve the collection as a whole and to educate the public about Chinese cultural heritage.
Head of Regulatory Authority at the Charity Commission, Christine Barker, said:
«We are pleased to have given authority for this remarkable transfer to go ahead. The Foundation’s trustees are clear that ensuring the safe and accessible display of their founder’s collection is fully aligned with their charitable objects.
Our team are dedicated to considering such applications carefully, balancing the need to reflect changing circumstances against the importance of ensuring trustees safeguard their assets to pursue their charitable aims».
Director of the British Museum, Dr Nicholas Cullinan said:
«I am humbled by the generosity of the Trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation in permanently entrusting their incomparable private collection to the British Museum and thank the Charity Commission for their support in now approving the transfer.
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».
Chair of The Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art and The Sir Percival David Foundation Academic and Research Fund Colin Sheaf FSA said:
«Sir Percival was motivated by three principal concerns. These were to preserve the whole collection together for posterity, to display it publicly and safely in its entirety, and to ensure that his superb porcelain should not only be admired by connoisseurs for its beauty but should also educate the widest possible audience about China’s historic culture which he greatly admired.
With the valued support of the Charity Commission, the Foundation Trustees have taken this major decision because they believe that this transfer entirely meets the philanthropic intentions and long-term wishes of the Founder almost a century ago».
Key highlights from the collection include the iconic 'David Vases' (1351), a Chenghua-era “Chicken Cup,” and rare Ru wares from the Northern Song dynasty.
In the last year, the Charity Commission reviewed 545 applications for asset transfers, often aimed at modernising charity structures. Photo by Ham, Wikimedia commons.