The Lampedusa Cross: British Museum makes last acquisition under departing director Neil MacGregor

Cross was made from wreckage of the disaster off the Italian coast in 2013 – of the 500 people on board only 151 survived

The British Museum (Rex )

The British Museum has made its last acquisition under director Neil MacGregor: a cross made from the wreck of the boat carrying hundreds of refuges that sank off the coast of Lampedusa.

The Lampedusa Cross, made by local carpenter Francesco Tuccio, was donated to the collection in October and will go on display from Friday.

It was made from the wreckage of the disaster off the Italian coast in October 2013. The boat was carrying refugees from Eritrea and Somalia. Of the 500 people on board only 151 survived.

Mr Tuccio made a cross which was carried by Pope Francis at the memorial service for the survivors. The British Museum contacted the carpenter to see if it could acquire one for its collection.

When the museum thanked him, he wrote: “It is I who should thank you for drawing attention to the burden symbolised by this small piece of wood.”

Mr MacGregor said ‘This simple yet moving object is a poignant gift to the collection. Mr Tuccio’s generosity will allow all visitors to the Museum to reflect on this significant moment in the history of Europe, a great migration which may change the way we understand our continent.”

It is the director’s last day in post. During his 13-year reign, attendances at the museum rose from 4.6 million in his first full year to 6.7m in 2015.

He said: “In my time at the Museum we have acquired many wonderful objects, from the grand to the humble, but all have sought to shine a light on the needs and hopes that all human beings share.”

The museum has also revealed that Turner Prize winner Wolfgang Tillmans has been commissioned for the official portrait. Following a tradition that stretches back 250 years, this will be the first time a photographic portrait will be taken.