The money to buy The Luttrell Psalter came from the prominent American banker John Pierpont Morgan who gave an interest free loan to the British Museum for a year.
If the Museum failed to repay the loan, the manuscript would become part of his own collection. The Psalms contain illustrations of everyday life of medieval England. The right hand margin of the right-hand page depicts the artist's family arms. Fortunately, with the Art Fund's assistance, the British Museum was able to keep this rare piece of work in their collection.
Provenance
Sir Geoffrey Loutrell; Fitz-Alan family; Lord William Howard; Mary,wife of Sir .Charleton,Northumberland; Sir Nicholas Shireburn; Weld family, Lulworth, Dorset; Pierpont Morgan for loan to British Museum until funds were raised for the outright purchase