Croydon Council yesterday completed the controversial sale of 24 pieces from the Riesco Collection of Chinese porcelain at an auction in Hong Kong.
The council, which earlier this month was expelled from the Museums Association over its plans to sell the ceramics at Christie’s Hong Kong, raised just over £8million from the sale, around half of what the council hoped for. A Ming dynasty Moon flask was the most expensive item sold, which went for £2.2million.
A spokeswoman for Croydon Council said: “The council is pleased that 17 of the items sold at auction, some of these for more than was expected. This will provide significant investment for culture in Croydon… a final total may be some days away yet as it is likely that some of the unsold items will sell over the coming days.
The decision by the Conservative-controlled council to sell the pieces – part of a collection that was gifted to Croydon by local businessman Raymond Riesco in 1959 – has been the subject of much debate both locally and in the wider museums sector.
Financial black hole
The council had stated before yesterday’s sale that the money raised was to be used to refurbish Croydon’s Fairfield Halls venue, which stages music and comedy events – from 6 December it will be hosting Peter Pan starring Steve McFadden. However, it is believed that the amount raised from the sale will not cover the cost of works required.
“The money raised doesn’t even go anywhere near filling the financial black hole needed to repair the Fairfield Halls,” said Tony Newman, leader of the Labour group on Croydon Council. “So this scandal has left us without the borough’s treasured Riesco Collection and with a Fairfield Halls in a state of disrepair. Croydon Tories’ act of cultural vandalism is now complete.”
The longterm impact on the Museum of Croydon, which houses the remaining items from the Riesco Collection, is likely to be significant. As an unaccredited museum, the museum and other council-run venues will no longer be able to borrow exhibits from other Museums Association accredited venues.
Speaking to Inside Croydon, which has followed the story closely and been vocal in its opposition to the sale, Maurice Davies, head of policy at the Museums Association, said: “It’s a tragedy that the sale went ahead. The fault is Croydon Council’s… their decision-making appears to have been flawed and there was a good chance of judicial review.
“Is raising half what was hoped for a good or bad thing? The first reaction might be mild glee that Croydon bureaucrats and politicians will be seen as incompetent. But of course it’s not good news. If you’re going to asset strip, however unethically, you’d better get the best price for the public.”
No day in court
Earlier this month, a court action by South Croydon Community Association aimed at stopping the sale was abandoned because the group was unable to meet the rising legal costs. At the time, Charlotte Davies, chair of the association, said: “Croydon Council and senior elected councillors used Croydon Council Tax-payers’ money to stop us having our day in court.”
The sale of the Riesco Collection pieces comes at a time when the treatment of collections by local councils is coming under increasing scrutiny. In Scotland, a controversial bill that will allow Glasgow’s Burrell Collection to go on tour overseas – despite there being a condition in the 1958 bequest that forbids this – could be passed in the new year.
Meanwhile, Labour controlled Southampton City Council has denied rumours that it intends to sell works to pay for repairs at the City Art Gallery and to contribute to the funding of a new £40million arts complex. In 2010, the council abandoned plans to sell two works from its collection to help finance the Sea City Museum.
