Four masked burglars steal jade and gold artifacts from museum in England

Avon and Somerset police said witnesses reported seeing the thieves breaking a first-floor window at the Museum of East Asian Art, on April 17, 2018. PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

LONDON (NYTIMES) - British police are seeking clues to a burglary at a museum in Bath, in southwest England, this week in which four masked thieves made off with precious artifacts including a jade figure of a monkey holding a peach from the Yuan or early Ming dynasty.

Avon and Somerset police said witnesses reported seeing the thieves breaking a first-floor window about 1.20am Tuesday (April 17) at the Museum of East Asian Art, which bills itself as the only museum in the United Kingdom "solely dedicated to the arts and cultures of East and South East Asia". The burglars then smashed display cabinets and removed numerous items, according to a police statement. Among the items stolen in addition to the jade monkey:

- A carving of jade mandarin ducks with lotus flowers.

- An inlaid wooden box.

- A soapstone figure of Han dynasty scholar Dongfang Shuo.

- A set of 14 gold belt plaques.

- A Jizhou stoneware vase.

Police have not put a price on the haul, saying that the items vary in monetary value but that their "cultural significance is priceless". Police said the thieves fled in a dark SUV. Officers have seized a white Ford van that was stolen and left at the scene. Police have appealed to the public for information to solve the crime, and are scouring CCTV footage for clues.

Detective Sgt. Matthew Reed said in a statement, "Due to the items stolen and the speed of the burglary, we suspect this to be a targeted attack with the artifacts possibly stolen to order."

Nicole Chiang, the museum's curator, said in a statement: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the burglary as we are preparing for our 25th anniversary celebrations. Not only do the stolen objects have significant historical and cultural value, they also hold irreplaceable emotional value for our founder." The museum was founded by Brian McElney, a former lawyer who lived in Hong Kong for many years, and whose own collection of East Asian art formed the initial basis of its holdings.

The museum - which has a collection representing more than 7,000 years - will remain closed for the next few weeks while employees take an inventory. The next exhibition is planned for May 5: "A Quest for Wellness: Contemporary Chinese Art by Zhang Yanzi."

The break-in follows an attempted burglary at the same museum six years ago, when three men tried to steal items during opening hours, according to local news outlets. Nothing was stolen then, and the would-be burglars fled before police arrived.

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