Sonntag, 11. Dezember 2022

The benefits of selling museum objects to anonymous private collectors

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Antiquities sale for museums pays off - this is the lesson of the case of the Sekhemka statue, that was sold by the Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery in 2014 for £15.8m. Despite international protests, the statue of Sekhemka, which had been in the museum's possession since the late 19th century, was auctioned off at Christie's London auction house to an anonymous private collection.

Statue of Sekhemka
Statue des Sekhemka, vom Museum Northampton bei Christie's verhökert
(Foto: Bibilovski (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-4.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

Contritely, the museum board admitted mistakes and promised that something like this would not happen again. The museum has since undergone a £6.7m revamp. These necessary renovations served as justification for the sale. The museum has now regained its Arts Council England accreditation, that was lost after the sale. Furthermore, the museum was granted a £450,000 project which will, among other things, enable an exhibition "A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects". A regional politician commented: "This funding will enable us to grow Northampton’s Cultural Quarter and raise the profile of Northamptonshire’s rich history through a unique collection of exhibits."

This raises at least four questions: 

  • Where did the £9.1m that should be left over from the sale after the refurbishment actually go? Apparently not for a very basic exhibition on the history of the city - and in view of two major losses and a fire, apparently not for safety either.  
  • What makes a unique collection when you've sold a world-class piece?  
  • Why was it so quick to start heaping money and prestige on the museum again?
  • What is the role of the new Archaeological Resources Center (ARC), which opened this year, and other restoration projects associated with the museum? Reports only mention public funds, such as from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It remains unclear whether Sekhemka funds were also used here.

 

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