Results for “recovery”
The Theft of the Cellini Salt Cellar
Benvenuto Cellini's golden Saliera — the only surviving gold sculpture by the Renaissance master — was stolen from Vienna in 2003 and recovered three years later, buried in a lead box in an Austrian forest.
The Medici Archive Investigation
In 1995, investigators raided a warehouse in the Geneva Freeport and uncovered the archive of dealer Giacomo Medici — thousands of Polaroids of freshly looted objects that became a Rosetta Stone for the antiquities trade and drove restitutions from museums around the world.
The National Museum of Iraq Looting
In the chaos following the 2003 invasion, the National Museum of Iraq was looted of thousands of objects spanning the dawn of civilisation. Recovery efforts continue two decades on.
The 2025 Louvre Crown Jewels Heist
On 19 October 2025, four men disguised as construction workers used a boom lift to enter the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon, smashed the display cases of the French Crown Jewels, and escaped in under ten minutes with eight historic objects worth an estimated €88 million. Most remain missing.
The Russborough House Robbery (1986)
In 1986 the Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill — 'The General' — led a raid on Russborough House, taking eighteen works including a Vermeer and a Goya. They were recovered piecemeal over years.
Three Decades On, the Gardner Reward Still Stands at $10 Million
The museum reaffirms its offer as investigators mark another anniversary of the unsolved 1990 heist.
Louvre Heist Update: Mastermind Reportedly Told Crew They “Could Have Taken More”
Newly released suspect statements describe a post-heist “performance review” from an unidentified organizer known only as “Jo” — who thought the crew left valuable pieces behind.
