A GROUP of 89 items from the Castle Howard collection in North Yorkshire have been acquired for the nation.

The historic items include Roman portrait sculptures, figures of gods and mythical characters.

One of the highlights of the collection is a head of the satyr Silenus crowned with ivy leaves dating from the second-century AD, a sculpture of a boy on a goat and a first century AD portrait of a middle-aged man with sunken cheeks and an “intense stare” identified as Cato the Elder or Younger.

They were acquired for the nation through the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme and allocated to the National Museums Liverpool to remain on public display at Castle Howard.

The majority of items were assembled by Henry Howard, the Fourth Earl of Carlisle during the early 18th century on his Grand Tour and the other pieces by his son Frederick, the Fifth Earl, also from his Continental travels.

These pieces are said by Castle Howard to be an excellent example of the collecting practices of British aristocrats and travellers of the period. It was already considered exceptional for its size and importance in the eighteenth century and remains a highly important group of Roman sculpture today.

Sharon Granville, executive director of collections and estate at National Museums Liverpool said: “We are delighted that these immensely important sculptures have been saved for the nation under the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme and that they will remain in the magnificent surroundings of Castle Howard where they will continue to be accessible to the public.

"National Museums Liverpool, as the national museum in the North of England, is pleased to be adding this fine collection to our existing internationally-important classical antiquities collection – second only now in the UK to the British Museum.

"We are grateful to the Secretary of State and to Arts Council England for their support in making this happen.”

John Glen, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said: "This is a fascinating array of art that gives us a real insight into eighteenth-century collectors, as well as ancient Roman sculpture.

"I am pleased that through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme this diverse collection - the largest acquisition of its type under the scheme - will remain on public display at Castle Howard for years to come."