Nationally important needlework collection donated to National Museums NI
July 17, 2025 | In the PressFrom Museums Association (https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2025/07/nationally-important-needlework-collection-donated-to-national-museums-ni/#)
National Museums NI has received a landmark donation of early needlework from the antiques dealer, textiles expert and author Lanto Synge.
Recognised as one of the most significant private collections of its kind, the gift comprises around 250 artworks, primarily English textiles from the 16th to 19th centuries. A statement from the institution said it represents a “transformational addition to Northern Ireland’s cultural heritage”.
Described as “nationally important”, the donation was formally accepted under the UK Government’s Cultural Gifts Scheme, which allows significant cultural items to be donated to public institutions in exchange for tax relief.
The collection will be housed at the Ulster Museum, with highlights going on display in 2026 as part of its planned Ashes to Fashion exhibition.
The pieces include woolwork, embroidered panels, pictures, samplers, furniture, hangings and valances, alongside items from France, India and China.
The collection has never been on public display before and its only equivalents in scope and quality are found at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum in London and The Met in New York.
The donation holds particular significance for National Museums NI, which lost its previous historic costume and textile collection, comprising around 10,000 items, in the 1976 bombing of Malone House, the former Northern Ireland headquarters of the National Trust.
In the aftermath, Ulster Museum began curating a new, future-focused collection, acquiring high street and designer fashion every year from the 1980s to now. The museum said the new donation would “help rebuild what was lost” in the bombing.
Charlotte McReynolds, curator of fashion and textiles, said: “We took tragedy and turned it into opportunity, building a collection that reflects fashion trends and design innovation over the decades. This donation enhances that story – now we can also offer the public access to historic textile masterpieces, creating a fuller narrative of style, skill and cultural identity.”
“We are honoured to bring these significant pieces into the collection,” said William Blair, director of collections at National Museums NI.
“Lanto Synge’s gift transforms our ability to present, study and preserve centuries of textile history. These pieces are far beyond the reach of public institutions today and will now inspire future generations of students, designers, and researchers.
“It marks a significant cultural moment for Northern Ireland and supports our vision to become an Independent Research Organisation, and an international centre of excellence for textile heritage.”
Synge is the former chief executive of Mallett and Sons, a globally prominent antique and fine art dealer.
He said of the donation: “More affordable than magnificent furniture, antique needlework became a passion for me during my time developing the field at Mallett’s. In my spare time, as a junior and as CEO, I bought and sold embroideries and gradually acquired a substantial collection of exceptional pieces and retained some lesser items that represented the art and skills of domestic needle workers.
“This is the most important aspect of the collection from a museum point of view, and the motivation behind my donation to National Museums NI, alongside of course my fond memories of my time here in Belfast as a student of Campbell College.
“The Ulster Museum is the perfect recipient – its existing collections complement my collection in ways that create the largest, unique collection of needlework, fashion, costume and textiles to exist anywhere.”
