Police have released surveillance footage of four men suspected of stealing centuries-old treasures, including rare Indian colonial artifacts, from a museum facility in Bristol.
More than 600 historically significant items, including artifacts from India dating back to the British Raj, have been stolen in a “high-value burglary” at a museum storage facility in Bristol, UK. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed Thursday (11 December) that the theft hit the British Empire and Commonwealth collection hard. They’ve released CCTV images of four suspects they’re trying to identify.
The burglary happened in the early morning hours of September 25, between 1 am and 2 am, at a building on Cumberland Road in Bristol. The stolen stuff is all over the map: military memorabilia, jewelry, geological specimens, bronze figurines.
Some of the most significant Indian items taken include an ivory Buddha statue mounted on a stone base carved with seven snake heads and a waist belt buckle that belonged to an East India Company officer. The buckle has the motto “Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angliae” inscribed on it. They also grabbed a carved ivory elephant ornament and an 1838 US emancipation token.
Police are calling this a “significant cultural loss.” The collection documents Britain’s complicated historical ties with its former colonies from the late 18th to the late 20th century. A lot of these items were donated and offer unique glimpses into the lives of people who lived and worked across the empire.
“The theft of many items which carry a significant cultural value is a significant loss for the city,” said Detective Constable Dan Burgan, who’s leading the investigation. “These items… form part of a collection that provides insight into a multi-layered part of British history.”
This isn’t the first major museum theft in the UK and Europe recently, and it’s raising serious concerns about how well heritage collections are being protected. The British Empire and Commonwealth collection ended up at Bristol Museum after the original British Empire & Commonwealth Museum closed in 2012.
The fact that they’re releasing CCTV images more than two months after the crime suggests investigators have hit a wall with their initial leads. The footage shows four white males, some wearing caps and hoodies, carrying bags near the facility. Police are asking the public to report if they recognize anyone or have seen any of these items for sale online.
Authorities are running forensic investigations and keeping an eye on online marketplaces for the stolen goods. This theft is likely to spark fresh debates about the security of colonial-era artifacts sitting in Western institutions, especially items with contested histories like that East India Company memorabilia.
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