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A 12cm marble head and a Cartier ring worth £750,000 are among the items that have previously gone missing from the British Museum.
The institution and the Metropolitan Police announced on Wednesday that they are investigating after a number of artefacts were stolen from the museum’s collection.
Here, the PA news agency looks at artefacts that have gone missing over the years:
– Gold jewellery and semi-precious gems
The museum said on Wednesday it is taking legal action against an unnamed staff member, who has been dismissed, and launched an independent review of security after items from its collection were found to be missing, stolen or damaged earlier this year.
The items include gold jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones, and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD, which were not recently on public display and were mainly used for research and academic work.
Museum director Hartwig Fischer said it has “tightened” its security arrangements, while chairman George Osborne said its priority is to recover the stolen items, find out if there was anything that could have been done to stop the theft, and do whatever possible to prevent it from happening again.
– Cartier ring
In 2017, it was revealed a Cartier diamond ring from the museum’s heritage asset collection was missing.
It had been reported absent in 2011 but the details of the loss were not made public at the time.
The absence was detailed six years later in accounts from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in which the jewellery was said to be worth £750,000.
The institution said at the time: “The museum takes the security of the collection extremely seriously.
“The museum has since reviewed its security and collections management procedures and dedicated significant investment to improved security across the estate.”
– Chinese artefacts
It was reported in 2004 that 15 Chinese artefacts were taken from the museum by a member of the public.
Described as “historically important”, the items reportedly included jewels, ornate hairpins and fingernail guards.
– A Greek head
In 2002, the museum reviewed security after a 2,500-year-old Greek statue was stolen by a member of the public.
The institution said at the time that the Greek Archaic Gallery had been open to the public but there was no permanent guard on duty when the 12cm-high marble head was taken.
Curators and dealers across the world along with Interpol were alerted to look out for the head, which had a distinctive damaged nose and face.
Acquired by the museum in 1922, experts believe at the time that it could be worth up to £25,000.
– Roman coins
In 1993, Roman coins and jewellery worth £250,000 were stolen in a break-in through the roof of the museum.
– Coins and medals
During the 1970s, the British Museum said a number of coins and medals were stolen.
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