In a controversial move, the council for the south London borough of Croydon will sell off part of its collection of Chinese ceramics, worth an estimated $20 million and donated in 1964. The proceeds are slated to refurbish a local theater and music venue called the Fairfield Halls.
The problem? It’s a violation of the Museums Association’s code of ethics and the Croydon council’s own policies. Further, it will likely result in Croydon’s losing its status as an accredited museum, cutting it off from funding and loans, including those from the British Museum.
The Museums Association is considering disciplinary action and expelling Croydon from the association. Croydon defends that these are “very exceptional circumstances” that justify the deaccessioning, because they don’t want to spend the money to put in an adequate security system for the collection. Further, Croydon explains that it’s a good time to sell Chinese antiquities, since “any decline in the economic climate in Asia could lead to a decrease in the prices achieved.” Further, the collection attracts only 10,000 visitors a year, while the Fairfield Halls attract 300,000.
What do you think? Are those the “exceptional circumstances” contemplated by policies prohibiting the deaccessioning of museum gifts?
Cultural Property & Archaeology Law 
RobotTiger
August 17, 2013
I completely understand and sympathise with museum’s decisions to deaccession pieces in order to fund vital improvements to the museum – and in fairness they are correct, now is the time to sell Chinese ceramics! However, I don’t know if it can be quite so justified when the money is a) not being spent on the museum but another (unrelated) attraction, and b) will place the museum in a poor position in terms of losing accreditation, etc.
At the end of the day, they shouldn’t do it as it violates the code of ethics, but it’s more the attitude behind it that is disappointing.
archaeolaw
August 19, 2013
Thank you for your thoughts, Mr. Tiger. I don’t know what the right answer is but I do know that if I donated a gift to a museum and found out they were selling it to pay for something unrelated to the museum, I’d be quite disappointed. It discourages giving, which is why deaccessioning is discouraged, among other reasons.