London Reuters —The British Museum said on Wednesday it would receive 1,700 pieces of world-renowned Chinese ceramics worth around 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion), in the largest donation in its nearly 300-year history. The collection, which has been on loan to the British Museum since 2009, has been donated by the Percival David Foundation. The Trustees of the British Museum“This is the largest bequest to the British Museum in our long history,” said George Osborne, chair of the British Museum. “It’s a real vote of confidence in our future.”Thanks to the donation, the British Museum said it would hold one of the most important collections of Chinese ceramics of any public institution outside the Chinese-speaking world, numbering 10,000 objects. Porcelain was first produced in China around AD 600, and it is by far the most advanced in the world.

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Persons: Percival David, ”, George Osborne, “, Chris Bryant Organizations: London Reuters —, British, British Museum, Percival, Percival David Foundation, British Museum British, Shanghai Museum, Metropolitan Museum Locations: British, China, New York