Former Curator Accused of Stealing Gems from British Museum: Sold them on eBay!
Katie Razzall & Larissa Kennelly
& Darin Graham & Emma Saunders
BBC NewsShare
The British Museum is reportedly suing Dr. Peter Higgs, a former curator, who they believe stole and sold much of the 1,800 lost gems.
This story has actually been going on for several months now. The museum first accused Higgs of possibly stealing the gems reportedly back in August. (British Museum sacks staff member after items vanish from collection) After months of trying to get Higgs to confess, the museum is now going to court.
The High Court has ordered the disclosure of eBay and PayPal records from the eBay account of the suspect, former curator Dr Peter Higgs. The museum says these records contain evidence of its items being sold online. The court was told Dr. Higgs intended to dispute the claims.
Higgs was said to be “too unwell to attend the proceedings.” The museum claims to have evidence that Higgs was selling stolen items for over a decade, to buyers from all around the world.
Missing and stolen gems
The museum says many of the missing and stolen items came from unregistered collections held in storage, which had no individual record in any of the museum’s catalogues.
The museum’s legal representatives have reportedly told the court how a 1993 audit of a storeroom showed that there were 1,449 unregistered items present, but that during another audit in 2023, 1,161 – just over 80% of those items – were missing from the same storeroom.
Higgs has denied all the claims. He was promoted to acting keeper of the department in January 2021.
It was the Cameo that done him in!
The museum has uncovered eBay transactions which they believe proves Dr. Higgs was involved in selling the items on eBay. There was a missing cameo that turned up on eBay, apparently under Higgs’ personal eBay account.
More on this can be read here, at the BBC.
Rediscovering Gems
Gems were the picture book of the ancient Mediterranean world. Depicting deities, famous individuals, animals, objects, and scenes from myth or daily life, these small artworks have made a significant impression throughout history.
Classical gems have been highly prized by collectors from the Renaissance onwards, but never more so than in 18th-century Europe. Collected by royalty, aristocrats, artists and antiquarians, such as Charles Townley (1737–1805), their designs reflect – and serve as a record of – personal tastes and aesthetic preferences. Yet, their popularity meant they were widely reproduced and faked – and distinguishing between the two is still contentious.
Some of these remarkable objects have had a more difficult recent history. In August 2023 the Museum announced that a number of items from the collection had been stolen, were missing or damaged. It became apparent that the collection of engraved gems was among those to have been targeted. The British Museum is committed to recovering all the stolen items and to preventing thefts from happening again. Hundreds have already been recovered, and ten of these can be seen as part of this display.
Tap here to read more on this new exhibition at the British Museum!
Tap here for more from the BBC regarding the saga of the British Museum’s stolen gems.
Previously seen in the Roskin Gem News Report ….
Gems Stolen from British Museum Seen for First Time
14 February 2024
By Katie Razzall, Culture and media editor
Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and pleasure, is depicted in green, white and blue banded glass
Ten glass gems have been put on display for the first time since they were stolen from the British Museum.
In August, the museum announced up to 2,000 objects from its storerooms were missing, stolen or damaged.
Interim director Sir Mark Jones told the BBC the process to recover them was “lengthy” and “complicated”. So far, 356 items have been retrieved from six different sources, he revealed.
Ten of them now feature in an exhibition called Rediscovering Gems.
Stolen British Museum Gems Now Back on Display
