Art historians question ‘unsuitable’ £800m Bayeux Tapestry insurance

This article was first published by the Museums Association.

Critics of the Bayeux Tapestry loan have questioned the insurance cover provided for the artefact as part of an administrative agreement between France and the UK.

The Financial Times reported last week that the tapestry would be insured for around £800m under the UK’s Government Indemnity Scheme during its time on loan to the British Museum later this year.

The paper said the sum is more than twice the value of the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, Salvator Mundi, Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Jesus, which sold at Christie’s in New York in 2017 for $450m.

The indemnity valuation is yet to be signed off by chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Art experts and conservators have previously voiced concerns about the loan due to the extreme fragility of the tapestry, with more than 76,000 people signing a petition to halt the exchange.