Hunt Museum
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The Hunt Museum is a museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. Holding a personal collection donated by the Hunt family, it was originally situated in the University of Limerick, before being moved to its present location. It can now be visited in the old custom house, an historic 18th century building by the River Shannon. Limerick's bustling quays began at this area of the river, recently made home to a marina.
The Hunt Museum hold about 2000 different artifacts, both from Ireland and abroad. The oldest pieces are from stone-age Ireland and ancient Egypt. The collection includes the Antrim Cross (a 9th century bronze and enamel cross), a small sketch by Picasso and a bronze horse from a design by Leonardo da Vinci for a large monument.
In December 2003, the Simon Wiesenthal Center alleged in a letter to President Mary McAleese that the museum's collection contained items looted by the Nazis during the Second World War. The museum has denied the claims. An inquiry was set up, but it was discontinued in February 2005 due to funding problems.
External links
- Hunt Museum website (http://www.huntmuseum.com/)
- Simon Wiesenthal Center allegations (http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=245494&ct=285900)
- Team probing ‘Nazi loot’ in museum quits (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1481912,00.html) — Sunday Times article