Since the news broke last week, it has been revealed that more than 1,500 items might have been stolen, while the British Museum was warned of the theft in 2021 itself.
Last week, the British Museum announced that numerous items in its collection – mostly gold jewelry from 15th – 19th century – have been stolen, damaged, or gone missing. They also said that the employee responsible for it has been fired and legal actions would be taken against him/her. While the museum did not reveal the name, it was soon revealed to be veteran curator Peter Higgs.
The British Museum had ordered an internal investigation into the matter and has been quiet on the issue since then. But numerous other investigative reports have revealed more information on the matter. The Daily Telegraph revealed that their sources have told them well over 1000 objects have gone missing – with the number likely closer to 2000. Most of these items were not digitally cataloged and purely kept for research, thus making it very difficult to track them. The newspaper also claimed that the true extent of the scandal would force director Hartwig Fischer – who was scheduled to step down next year – to resign immediately.
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Reports from BBC, The Telegraph, and The New York Times also revealed that the British Museum was warned of this theft as long back as 2021. Ittai Gradel, a Danish art dealer and art historian, sent an email to the museum in February 2021. The 1600-word email included details of a Roman cameo, supposedly in the museum collection, that was being sold on eBay. However, he was told in July 2021 by Jonathan Williams, deputy director of the museum, that their “thorough investigation” found no evidence of any wrongdoing. This was also confirmed by Hartwig Fischer. The report has further substantiated the culpability of the museum’s ignorance in the massive scandal it is facing currently.
