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British Museum to put stolen items on public display
The museum previously disclosed around 2,000 items were missing, stolen or damaged
THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
By Jabed Ahmed
01/02/24
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The British Museum has announced it is putting some of the items that had been stolen from them last year will be put on display to the public.
A senior executive called the Rediscovering Gems exhibition was “another example of culture change” currently underway at the museum “taking ownership after hundreds of objects were reported missing, stolen, or damaged from its collection.
Last August, the museum disclosed around 2,000 items had gone missing before hundreds of these were safely returned, The museum said it will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police and an international group of experts to locate and return the remaining artefacts.
In total, 10 of these recovered items will form a part of the new exhibition beginning this month. These include a first-century Roman profile bust of goddess Minerva/Athena in black glass with a white band, and a glass cameo with bust of god Cupid/Eros in three layers of brown on white on purple glass.
Additionally, 500 more objects that were not part of the stolen tranche will also be on display and all the previously stolen items will be in their own showcase and clearly labelled.
Chairman of the board of trustees at the British Museum, George Osborne said: “We promised we’d show the world the gems that were stolen and recovered rather than hide them away.
“It’s another example of culture change under way at the British Museum, as we open up and take ownership of our own story.”
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The former chancellor had previously told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in October that the stolen items would be displayed, adding that the whole saga has the “makings of a good exhibition”.
Tom Harrison, keeper of the British Museum’s department of Greece and Rome, said: ‘We are delighted to be able to put on this exhibition and showcase some of the stunning recovered gems which are now safely back in the museum’s collection.
“It’s also an interesting opportunity to cast some light on an underappreciated and very beautiful art form,” he added.
(PA)
The ancient Mediterranean objects were used as seals, jewellery or collected and sought after by royalty, aristocrats, artists and antiquarians. They will be displayed in a gem cabinet reflective of the 18th century, when they were popular.
The recovery team, dealers and members of the public have helped return the items that were announced missing in August 2023. The following month, the museum launched a webpage which gave details of the losses and information about how to report them.
When the thefts were disclosed, the museum said an unnamed member of staff was sacked and it was taking legal action.
In the wake of the controversy, German art historian and British Museum director Hartwig Fischer resigned and former Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum director Sir Mark Jones was appointed in the interim.