The scale of either legitimate or unauthorised disposals from the now-closed British Empire and Commonwealth Museum (BECM) may never be known, according to a BBC investigation.
The 553,000-strong ethnographic collection was transferred to Bristol City Council and has now been reviewed, but the curatorial team could not check stock against previous records because the museum had never carried out a full audit.
BECM trustees are aware of 144 items from eight lenders that were sold to a London-based art dealer for £115,000. Some later appeared on the open market without record of their provenance.
Neil Cossons, chairman of the trustees, told the BBC: “There was no authorisation at all of any of the material that went to the dealer.”
The objects include a 19th-century Thomas Butterworth painting, which was later sold at Christie’s for £61,250. Documentation has shown that it was loaned, rather than given, to the museum.
Some items have now been traced and are expected to be returned to their original owners. Other lenders are seeking compensation settlements. The BBC investigation also found that four statuettes were auctioned off in 2007, suggesting that the museum may have started disposing of objects earlier than previously thought.
The BECM dismissed director Gareth Griffiths and called in police last year when allegations of unauthorised sales came to light. Police later dropped a criminal investigation, saying the case was a “civil matter”.
Griffi ths maintains that all disposals went ahead with the trustees’ approval. There is no suggestion that anyone personally profited from the sales.
A civil dispute between the BECM and Griffiths is ongoing.
The 553,000-strong ethnographic collection was transferred to Bristol City Council and has now been reviewed, but the curatorial team could not check stock against previous records because the museum had never carried out a full audit.
BECM trustees are aware of 144 items from eight lenders that were sold to a London-based art dealer for £115,000. Some later appeared on the open market without record of their provenance.
Neil Cossons, chairman of the trustees, told the BBC: “There was no authorisation at all of any of the material that went to the dealer.”
The objects include a 19th-century Thomas Butterworth painting, which was later sold at Christie’s for £61,250. Documentation has shown that it was loaned, rather than given, to the museum.
Some items have now been traced and are expected to be returned to their original owners. Other lenders are seeking compensation settlements. The BBC investigation also found that four statuettes were auctioned off in 2007, suggesting that the museum may have started disposing of objects earlier than previously thought.
The BECM dismissed director Gareth Griffiths and called in police last year when allegations of unauthorised sales came to light. Police later dropped a criminal investigation, saying the case was a “civil matter”.
Griffi ths maintains that all disposals went ahead with the trustees’ approval. There is no suggestion that anyone personally profited from the sales.
A civil dispute between the BECM and Griffiths is ongoing.
