British Museum Reveals $162M Gift, Including Rare Chinese Jades and Porcelain From Joseph Hotung

The British Museum has announced that the late Hong Kong businessman and former trustee Joseph Hotung left them a gift in 2022 valued at £123 million (approximately $162 million).

According to a report by the Art Newspaper, this donation is among the largest the museum has ever received.

The report also detailed that Joseph Hotung, who passed away in December 2021, bequeathed the British Museum a valuable collection featuring 246 jades from various Chinese dynasties, 15 pieces of early blue-and-white porcelain from the Yuan and Ming periods, and 24 items of bronze and metalwork. The donation also includes a Neolithic pottery jar and a dry lacquer head of a Bodhisattva.

Most of these artifacts are now displayed in the museum's Selwyn and Ellie Alleyne Jade Gallery and the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia.

Most of these artifacts are now on display in the museum's Selwyn and Ellie Alleyne Jade Gallery and the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia.

Joseph Hotung Gift to British Museum

Artlyst reported that the $162 million valuation of Joseph Hotung's bequest was determined by antique dealers' assessments of the donated items.

In addition, Hotung's collection also featured European paintings and furniture, which were auctioned in 2022 for £103.3 million ($135 million).

This major contribution brought the British Museum's total donations and legacies for the financial year to £138.5 million ($182 million), a sharp rise from £27.6 million ($36 million) in the previous year. During this period, the museum spent only £700,000 ($917,000) of its own funds on acquiring new objects.

"Joseph Hotung's generous bequest is a monumental contribution to our collection and a testament to his enduring legacy. His passion for Chinese art and his vision for supporting the museum will have a lasting impact on our ability to preserve and showcase these invaluable artifacts," British Museum Director Hartwig Fischer commented.

Hotung's motivation for leaving gifts to the British Museum was rooted in his belief that museums should increasingly rely on private donations to expand their collections, a view he expressed in a 2000 memorandum to the UK parliamentary select committee for culture.

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