The Waddesdon Bequest

A major grant was made by the Foundation to the British Museum to create a new gallery for the Waddesdon Bequest. The Bequest is a collection of nearly 300 objects that was accumulated by Baron Ferdinand and by his father, Baron Anselm, and was intended to rival those put together by Renaissance European rulers and princes. It is made up of small-scale, rare and precious pieces of the highest quality which were intended to inspire a sense of curiosity and wonder. The Bequest was originally housed in the Smoking Room at Waddesdon Manor, before being gifted to the British Museum.

The new gallery is the first relocation of the collection since 1971. The Bequest is now beautifully displayed on the ground floor of the Museum. More information, including details of the objects in the collection, is available from the British Museum website.