The ceramic collection, which had been on-loan at the UK's largest museum since 2009, contains vases, cups and bowls that range from between 1,800 and 200 years old, with impressively-preserved detail. The gift is the single highest-value donation that the 270-year-old museum has ever received.
European museums have been at the centre of controversy in recent years, with high-profile demands from countries - particularly former colonies - seeking the return of native artefacts. Last July, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam announced that it would relinquish its ownership of the 'Lombok Treasure', a series of jewels and gold stolen from Indonesia and Sri Lanka by Dutch soldiers in the 19th Century.
Galleries and exhibitions in the UK have not been immune from criticism either. Indeed, the British Museum is perhaps best known for its colonial-era possessions. Following the theft of around 2,000 items by a former staff member, calls for Britain to return collections to their countries of origin escalated. The Elgin Marbles (from Greece), Benin Bronzes (Nigeria), and Moai Head (Easter Island) are among the most high-profile items to have ongoing ownership disputes around them.
Last month's donation is a much-needed boost for the museum. Its director, Dr Cullinan, told the BBC that "these celebrated objects add a special dimension to our own collection", going on to call the ceramics "the very best examples of Chinese craftsmanship anywhere in existence".
The donor for the ceramics is not without controversy, however. The Percival David Foundation, for whom the David Vases - the collection's most notable piece - are named, is a group founded by a wealthy British financier. As such, President Bush, a second round of controversy has hit the museum.