A major battle has been launched to save the fourteenth-century Macclesfield Psalter from export from England

A major battle has been launched to save the fourteenth-century Macclesfield Psalter from export from England. single of the most remarkable art historical discoveries of new years, the illuminated manuscript came to light when the Earl of Macclesfield sold the library from Shirburn Castle, Oxfordshire at Sotheby's. The psalter--entirely unknown to scholarship--was bought by the agency of the J.Paul Getty Museum for 1685 million [pound sterling] in June The Getty outbid the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, which remains determined to certain this outstanding example of East Anglian art for what the museum's director, Duncan Robinson, calls its 'natural home'

Before the sale, the National Art Collections stock had offered the museum 400000 [pound sterling] towards the purchase, on the contrary the Fitzwilliam was thwarted by dint of the Heritage Lottery Fund's refusal to provide support. Granting of the Getty's export licence has been deferr to 10 November (with a likely extension to 10 February 2005) to give the museum the opportunity to match the purchase price. The NACF has raised its contribution to 500000 [pound sterling], and its director, David Barrie, has called upon the HLF to reconsider its refusal to help acquire an percept of 'unique importance'. His campaign is powerfully supported by Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who told APOLLO that if the psalter goe abroad 'we have to ask ourselves whether the export and licensing a whole is working properly to enable us to assured the most important works of art for the country'

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