Issue - meetings

The Corporate Director of Children, Education & Communities to present a report which outlines options for the future of a pair of marble sculptures purchased by the council in the 1940s and recommends that they be accessioned into the council’s museum collection.

Resolved:  That approval be given to accession the two Centaurs sculptures into the council’s museum collection (Option 1).

Reason:     In order to resolve the issue of ownership of the sculptures and ensure that they can be put on public display for the benefit of York residents.

The Director of Children, Education & Communities and the Assistant Director, Communities & Culture presented a report which outlined options for a pair of marble sculptures of centaurs purchased by the council at auction in 1949.

The sculptures, carved in Rome around 1755, had originally been displayed in the Assembly Rooms and later loaned to York Art Gallery, but never formally accessioned into the city’s museum collection.  In 2012, they had been mistakenly transferred by York Museums Trust to York Conservation Trust (YCT).  Recent discussions between YCT and council officers had established that YCT would now be willing to transfer them to the city’s collection.

Two options were available, as detailed in paragraphs 11-16 of the report:

Option 1 – to accession the sculptures into the council’s museum collection.  This was the recommended option, since it would resolve the ownership issue to the benefit of York residents and enable the works to be properly conserved.

Option 2 – to seek return of the sculptures from YCT for the purpose of selling them.  This was not recommended, as it could damage the council’s reputation and its relationship with YCT.

Resolved:  That approval be given to accession the two Centaurs sculptures into the council’s museum collection (Option 1).

Reason:     In order to resolve the issue of ownership of the sculptures and ensure that they can be put on public display for the benefit of York residents.