Will the Victoria and Albert Museum get its hands after all on the fifteenth-century renaissance roundel from Mantua depicting Vulcan, Mars and Venus that it failed to secure at auction last year?

Will the Victoria and Albert Museum gain its hands after all upon the fifteenth-century renaissance roundel from Mantua depicting Vulcan, Mars and Venus that it failed to certain at auction last year? Unknown until a routine satisfieds valuation in 2003, it sold for 7 million [pound sterling] at Christie's, London. The buyer widely believed to be Saud Al-Thani of Qatar, which APOLLO can now confirm, freshly withdrew his application for an export license. There has been speculation that this may be in like manner the owner can concentrate upon winning an export license for the Clive of India treasures sold in April--although an auction-house source told APOLLO that it would be difficult in the general political climate for a museum to claim of that kind Indian heritage as truly British. In any case, Mark Jone of the V&A told APOLLO that he has written to Saud asking for a loan of the roundel He has not still received a response.

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