Tate Britain has said it is not disappointed that leading UK artist Tracey Emin donated a specially commissioned decorated Christmas tree to an HIV/Aids charity.

Emin gave the tree to Lighthouse West and the Tate received a canvas by the Turner-Prize nominated artist instead.

On the canvas, Emin offers visitors to the London gallery a chance to win an original piece of her work - in turn for a donation to the charity.

The Tate commissions an artist to make or design a Christmas tree for them every year in the hope that they will come up with a unique decoration for their rotunda.

A Tate spokesperson said the gallery was fully supportive of Emin's decision.

"She has been working with our curator for over some weeks on this project," he said.

Michael Landy's 1997 offering featured discarded toys and dead trees

He said that neither gallery staff nor visitors were disappointed because the tree had never been displayed.

A Tate statement added that "visitors will place their contribution with their contact details in an envelope and Emin will draw a winner from all the contributors in early 2003".

Emin's decorated real fir tree is on show at the charity's west London office until early January.

Angry work

Last year the gallery had a batik and iron creation by artist Yinka Shonibare.

Recent Turner nominee Catherine Yass made a tree in 2000 with a large fluorescent light down its middle.

In 1993 Shirazeh Houshiary also used a real tree, but suspended it upside down and painted its roots gold.

In 1997, artist Michael Landy's creation featured a large bin full of empty bottles, discarded toys and dead Christmas trees depicting the aftermath of Christmas.

Emin's donation could be a valuable Christmas present - her artworks sell for up to �95,000.

She recently unveiled a new artwork, This is Another Place, last month the gallery Modern Art Oxford.

The former Turner nominee has won a reputation for uncompromising, angry work that draws on sexual themes.

She drew criticism in 1999 for her work My Bed, which comprised an unmade bed littered with empty vodka bottles, ashtrays, underwear and a used condom.

Art collector Charles Saatchi later bought it for �150,000.