"A phenomenal act of generosity": a museum has received a donation valued at over one billion dollars.

The Sir Percival David Foundation has gifted the British Museum a collection of Chinese ceramics, dating from the 3rd to the 20th century. This collection includes over 1,700 items. The collection had been on temporary loan to the museum since 2009, but this year a decision was made to fully transfer the artifacts. This was reported by The Guardian.

"This is the largest gift to the British Museum in its long history. It is a true vote of confidence in our future, and it comes at a very important moment for us as we embark on the most significant cultural reconstruction of the museum that we have ever undertaken," said museum director George Osborne.

The most valuable items in the collection are the "David vases" from 1351, whose discovery revolutionized the dating of blue-and-white ceramics. It also includes the Ru ware porcelain, made for the Song dynasty court in 1086, and the "chicken cup," which was used to serve wine to Emperor Chenghua in the 15th century.

Chris Bryant, the UK Minister for Creative Industries, Arts, and Tourism, also expressed his excitement: "I am endlessly grateful for this phenomenal act of generosity and truly hope it sets an example for others." The total number of Chinese ceramics in the British Museum is 10,000 artifacts. The article emphasized that this is the largest collection outside the Chinese-speaking world.

Previously, we reported that the British Museum received a rare gold bracelet that was accidentally discovered by a 12-year-old boy while on a walk. The bracelet was dated to the 1st century AD and belonged to the ancient Roman era.