▁Charles ▁Her cules ▁Read ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁de ▁l ' Is le . ▁Read ▁successfully ▁managed ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁price ▁down ▁to ▁£ 5 0 0 ▁( about ▁£ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁today ). ▁The ▁purchase ▁was ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁Christ y ▁Fund , ▁a ▁£ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁be quest ▁by ▁Henry ▁Christ y ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁left ▁his ▁own ▁collections ▁to ▁the ▁museum . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁when ▁Abb é ▁Bre uil ▁saw ▁the ▁sculpt ures ▁whilst ▁visit ing ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁that ▁he ▁real ised ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁pieces ▁fitted ▁together , ▁and ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁two ▁parts ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁sculpt ure . ▁ ▁The ▁sculpt ure ▁is ▁kept ▁in ▁a ▁controlled ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁is ▁rarely ▁moved . ▁The ▁iv ory ▁is ▁now ▁very ▁frag ile ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁fe ared ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁" turn ▁to ▁dust " ▁if ▁it ▁were ▁treated ▁roughly . ▁Un like ▁the ▁m amm oth ▁spe ar ▁thro wer , ▁the ▁rein de er ▁sculpt ure ▁has ▁no ▁practical ▁purpose , ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁piece ▁of ▁art ▁in ▁any ▁British ▁museum . ▁ ▁Age ▁The ▁finds ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁Ice ▁Age , ▁which ▁Henry ▁Christ y ▁and ▁Ed ou ard ▁L art et ▁originally ▁called ▁the ▁" age ▁of ▁the ▁rein de er ". ▁That ▁is ▁notable ▁as ▁the ▁car ving ▁of ▁m amm oth ▁iv ory ▁dep icted ▁rein de er ▁and ▁the