AN earthenware bowl made by Pablo Picasso has been bought by an art gallery for a four figure sum.

The pot, entitled Scène de Tauromachie, or scene of a bullfight, will go on show at York Art Gallery later this month.

It was bought with the help of the Friends of York Art Gallery when it went under the hammer at Sotheby's auction house in London in October.

The bowl, which was made in 1954, depicts a bullfight and will take pride of place in the gallery's ceramics collection.

Caroline Worthingon, curator of art for the York Museums Trust, which runs the gallery, said: "To get a piece of work by a really famous name like Picasso is fantastic.

"We were surprised to find out we could get a piece of pottery by such a famous artist. It is wonderful for the gallery and for York."

A spokesman for the trust said he could not reveal the exact figure paid for the bowl for security reasons.

The pot, which was previously in a private collection, will first go on show on Saturday, January 28, as part of the gallery's latest exhibition, Spanish Masters.

Picasso was most famous for his paintings and sculptures, but began experimenting with ceramics as early as 1906.

The pot was made while Picasso was in the south of France.

Published: 12/01/2006