A trove of treasures in county
his cheeks are swollen. The palette is very sludgy, dark and evocative.”
The painting, which has only been seen publicly twice since it was painted, will be displayed at the county museum’s new gallery later this year.
Museums also have to dispose of objects, and Mrs Mason said this was more complicated than you might think.
“You have to build up a very strong case,” she said. “You have to check there is no ownership (issue), and no significant loss of knowledge. Disposals have to be transparent and ethical, and most certainly not for profit.”
A collections development policy sets out other parameters, such as defining the geographical boundary items should come from.
In among the rarer and more eye-catching artefacts and artwork, including a Roman collection, are more prosaic objects.
“It’s the whole detritus of human life from the last 200 years,” said Mrs Mason.
“The everyday, ordinary things, people find interesting. They remind them of their childhood, or how their grandparents lived.”
Some of these items have increased significantly in value. Welsh tapestry blankets, said Mrs Mason, typically sold for just under £100 not so long ago. Nowadays, they can reach as much as £2,000 on the international market.
The value of Llanelly Pottery has also risen.
“It (the pottery) represents the ‘hiraeth’ and that Welsh identity, particularly working people’s lives, in the way that tapestry blankets do,” said Mrs Mason.
She praised the council for its investment in museum buildings at a time when some local authorities aren’t.
Asked if she enjoyed her job, Mrs Mason replied: “I love it – the opportunity to be involved in all these incredible changes which are happening, and to have the faith of the council in making these changes, and the support of funders. What’s not to like?”