What is the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery trying to acquire?

The museum is attempting to acquire a rare 3,000-year-old Bronze Age dress fastener.

How much money does the museum need to raise for the dress fastener?

The museum needs to raise £150,000 to keep the dress fastener in its public collection.

When was the Bronze Age dress fastener discovered and where?

The dress fastener was discovered in 2023 in Ellastone, Staffordshire.

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Bronze Age Dress Fastener: Museum Races to Save Treasure

30 Jan

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Summary

Museum seeks £150,000 to acquire a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age dress fastener.
The rare artifact was discovered in Staffordshire in 2023.
A significant pledge has been made, but more funds are urgently needed.

Bronze Age Dress Fastener: Museum Races to Save Treasure

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery faces a critical deadline to raise £150,000 for a rare 3,000-year-old Bronze Age dress fastener. This significant archaeological find was unearthed in Ellastone, Staffordshire, in 2023. The museum has until the spring of 2026 to secure the funds needed to add this treasure to its public collection.

This exceptional artifact, described as one of the finest examples of its kind ever found in Britain for nearly three decades, will be displayed alongside renowned items like the Staffordshire Hoard. Its exquisite craftsmanship suggests ownership by an individual of very high status.

The fundraising appeal, spearheaded by the Friends of the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, has already garnered a £60,000 pledge from Art Fund, contingent on the full amount being raised. If successful, the fastener will be a key feature in the museum's archaeology galleries, offering research opportunities into prehistoric Staffordshire.