Jointly-owned household items or part of estate

[MissBella]

Interested in views on the following please:

My relative lived with a partner for 15 years in her house, up until the point of his death. He had not included his partner in his will.
He purchased some valuable pieces of art prior to meeting his partner. He brought the items with him when he moved in and they were displayed throughout the house throughout the 15-year period.
Does his partner have a valid claim to keeping them or are they part of the estate?

[atticus]

On the face of the limited information provided, these items would appear to be the man's property and therefore part of his estate. But fuller information may lead to a different conclusion.