‘Disgrace’ of Assembly’s hidden treasure
Anger over £600k trove of public art no one sees
A TREASURE trove of artwork and historic artefacts belonging to the Northern Ireland Assembly and worth more than £600,000 is stashed away in storage or in private offices unseen by the public, it has emerged.
The cache includes a ceremonial sword, a table of the six counties of Northern Ireland valued at £10,000 and two silver maces worth around £20,000.
In many cases they are either locked away in storage, or placed in the offices of the First Minister or Stormont Speaker.
A list of 68 artefacts and items of artwork Clockwise from left: Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Lydia de Burgh (inset left, with artwork in background); ‘The House Will Divide’ by Noel Murphy; a portrait of former SDLP Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon by Rita Duffy, and ‘The Obelisk On The Boyne’ by John Tudor
owned by the Assembly has been released following a question from TUV MLA Jim Allister.
The value of the collection is worth more than £600,000, according
to the Assembly Commission. Mr Allister said it was “shameful” that so many valuable and historic treasures were out of public view.
“I believe it is a disgrace that valuable artefacts are hidden away in this fashion,” he said.
According to the response issued to Mr Allister, in almost
half of cases (32) the location is listed as “off-site storage”.
These items include the £10,000 table, an £8,000 model of Parliament Buildings and a ceremonial sword.
Also stored away is a carved and gilded throne chair valued at £7,000, and a £3,000 bust of Frederick Temple, a former Archbishop
of Canterbury. Among the items unavailable to the public because they are in the private office of the Speaker or the vacant office of the First Minister are books containing the names of the civilian war dead, a William IV vase and the two silver maces. They also include a famous oil painting by Pieter van der Meulen worth £50,000. The canvas, bought in the 1930s, is said to depict William of Orange atop a horse heading to the Battle of the Boyne being blessed by the Pope.
The artwork includes a painting, ‘The House Will Divide’, as Members gather to enter or leave the voting lobbies, and a portrait of former SDLP Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon.
The most valuable item of all, worth £300,000, is an artwork entitled The Obelisk On The Boyne by John Tudor.
It is on loan to Hillsborough Castle.
Mr Allister added: “I have long pressed the Assembly Commission to permit a public exhibition of the works it holds — and which the public therefore owns.”
An Assembly spokesman said: “Most of the artwork and artefacts held by the Assembly Commission are either on permanent public display, displayed in other parts of Parliament Buildings or on long-term loan to other locations.
“Once the Assembly appoints a new Commission, it will be open to it to consider the merits of an exhibition of artwork in Parliament Buildings.
“However, at present the current Commission is prioritising matters arising from the delay in the Assembly returning to full business.”