A scene straight out of a James Bond movie unfolded in Paris as four axe-wielding burglars blatantly stormed a museum, making off with King Charles’s priceless heirlooms.
The temporary exhibition “Luxe de poche” allowed visitors to immerse themselves in 18th-century sophistication as it displayed small objects like perfume, candy, music, and snuff boxes that are samples of unmatched craftsmanship of the era. They also show the lavish lifestyle of the European elite during the Age of Enlightenment: the items are made of precious metals and feature diamonds, enamel, and cameo, highlighting the tendency to display wealth and status through objects.
The robbery occurred at the end of November, a few days before the exhibition’s closing, during visiting hours in front of shocked visitors and the museum staff. Four masked men armed with axes and bats broke into the Musée Cognacq-Jay (Paris) on scooters, crashed the museum display cases, and grabbed seven valuable artworks with a total value of $1 million. Luckily, no one was injured during the incident. The museum has been closed for two weeks and reopened on December 10.
The City of Paris and Paris Musées have denounced the criminal act, emphasizing their support for the museum staff involved. They also praised the museum staff for staying calm and handling the situation professionally.
Two of the stolen items possess special historical significance to the British people as they are a part of the Royal Collection, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the world. They were loaned for the exhibition by the Royal Collection Trust, a charitable organization involved in preserving and managing The Monarch’s Treasury.
The first artifact is a table snuff box acquired by Queen Mary, King Charles’s great-grandmother, at a Christie’s event in 1932 for £1,000 (£58,987 or $75,162 as of 2024, according to the Bank of England inflation calculator). This small, beautiful object was made for Frederick II of Prussia. However, it passed through several hands before becoming a part of the Crown’s Collection: it entered the Russian Imperial Collection, then in 1917, was seized by the Soviet authorities and sold to a British syndicate, and that is how it landed in the UK. This green jasper snuff box is adorned with foliage in vari-colored gold and features about 3,000 diamonds.
The second heirloom object that thieves took is the 18th-century snuff box with an onyx cameo of the Birth of Venus. It is shaped like a cartouche and features alternating lapis lazuli panels and intricately chased gold with scrolls, flowers, animals, and cornucopias. Its exact provenance is unknown, but according to experts, it was most likely crafted in Dresden, Germany, as it possesses traits peculiar to goldsmiths of that region, including incorporation of semi-precious hard stones within gold mounts. The case is handled by the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (Anti-Gang Brigade), which is a part of the French National Police and specializes in combating armed robberies, kidnappings, and major burglaries.
