The British Museum’s Trustee Chair revealed on Saturday that the institution has managed to recover some of the approximately 2,000 items suspected to have been stolen by an insider. However, it was admitted that the 264-year-old museum lacks complete records of its extensive collection.

George Osborne, Chairman of the Trustees, acknowledged that the museum’s handling of the thefts had negatively impacted its reputation. The thefts led to the resignation of the museum’s director and raised concerns about security and leadership.

Osborne stated in an interview with the BBC on Saturday that the figure of 2,000 stolen items was still tentative, and efforts were underway to identify all missing items. Among the stolen pieces are gold jewelry, gemstones, and antiquities dating back up to 3,500 years. None of these items had been on public display recently.

He mentioned that the museum was collaborating with the antiquarian community and experts in art recovery to facilitate the return of the stolen items.

“We believe we’ve been targeted by thefts over a significant period, and to be honest, more should have been done to prevent them,” he commented. “However, I can assure you that we are committed to resolving this situation.”

The Museum’s Director, Hartwig Fischer, announced his resignation on Friday, expressing regret for not taking seriously a warning from an art historian that artifacts from the collection were being sold on eBay. Deputy Director Jonathan Williams also mentioned stepping aside while an investigation is conducted.

In the early months of 2021, British-Danish art historian and dealer Ittai Gradel expressed his suspicions to museum authorities, but they assured him that everything was in order. However, early this year, the museum contacted London’s Metropolitan Police force.

The museum terminated an employee’s contract and initiated legal proceedings, but no arrests have been made.

Gradel revealed to The Associated Press that he became suspicious after buying an item from a seller on eBay. Gradel traced two other items back to the museum, although he hadn’t purchased them. The item he had bought was not listed in the museum’s catalog, but he discovered it had been part of a collection donated to the museum in 1814.

The historian tracked the seller’s identity through PayPal, which turned out to be the dismissed museum staff member.

Gradel mentioned that Williams had assured him that a thorough investigation had not revealed any wrongdoing. “He essentially told me to go away and mind my own business.”

Fischer, in his resignation statement, admitted that “the British Museum’s response to the warnings in 2021 was not as comprehensive as it should have been.” He also apologized to Gradel.

The thefts, along with the museum’s inadequate response, have thrown the institution into crisis.

The museum, situated in central London’s Bloomsbury district, dates back to the 18th century and is one of Britain’s most visited tourist attractions, drawing 6 million visitors annually. Its collection spans from Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek statues to Viking treasures, Chinese scrolls from the 12th century, and masks from Indigenous peoples in Canada.

The thefts have fueled the voices demanding that the museum return items taken during the British Empire era from various parts of the world, including the Parthenon friezes from Athens and the Benin bronzes from West Africa.

“We want to tell the British Museum that they can no longer claim that Greek cultural heritage is better protected within their walls,” Despina Koutsoumba, head of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, told the BBC.

Osborne, a former UK treasury chief, stated that the museum had initiated an independent review led by a lawyer and a senior police officer. He also mentioned the establishment of a modern off-site storage facility to move the collection from its 18th-century basement.

“I don’t personally believe there was an intentional cover-up, although the review may uncover such a possibility,” he noted. “However, could there have been some form of groupthink at the upper echelons of the museum that couldn’t fathom an insider’s involvement in theft? Yes, that’s certainly plausible.”

Source: With Agencies