Luxe de poche,Musée Cognacq-Jay,museum theft
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Museum Theft: During the Musée Cognacq-Jay - Luxe de poche" Exhibition
Yesterday, thieves executed a daring daylight robbery at the Musée Cognacq-Jay, a museum located in the Hôtel Donon formerly owned by the eponymous family, and located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. Around 10:30 a.m., four individuals armed with axes and baseball bats shattered a large glass display case in the museum, while wearing gloves, hoods, and helmets in order to conceal their identities. The heist unfolded in front of visitors during regular opening hours, though no injuries were reported among staff and exhibition attendees. The thieves took several objects from the temporary exhibition "Luxe de poche. Petits objets précieux au siècle des Lumières" extended because of its popularity to run through November 24, 2024. The event showcased perfume bottles, candy boxes, music boxes, snuff boxes, and sewing kits decorated with gold, precious stones, mother-of-pearl or even enamels, highlighting objects from the 18th and early 19th centuries, representative of the Age of Enlightenment, when precious objects like these were in vogue in France. The event included objects loaned from the Château de Versailles, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Palais Galliera, the English Royal Collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Five objects were taken by the culprits, four of which ARCA has identified, before the thieves departed on scooters.
Stolen material described as being taken in the robbery include the following:
A gold snuff box dating from the 8th century and encrusted with agate cabochons made by Johann Christian Neuber , known for his gold snuff boxes, which he called Steinkabinettabatiere. This object was on loan from the Musée du Louvre.
A snuff box made of agate plates dating from 1760-1770, with hard stone reliefs, joined by a gold cage mount, and a lid encrusted with numerous brilliant-cut diamonds, made by Daniel Baudesson, also on loan from the Musée du Louvre.
It should be remembered that due to their intricate craftsmanship and historical significance, snuffboxes made of gold and other precious materials, have long been prized by organised criminals, in part because they are small enough to easy move.
"The Fulford Thefts" occurred in 1981 when Temple Newsam House in Leeds was burglarised in a nighttime heist, resulting in the loss of 24 exquisite snuffboxes. In that incident, the culprits, operating under the cover of darkness, targeted these highly valuable items due to their intricate craftsmanship and historical significance. The incident was named after the notorious criminal gang linked to the thefts, and remains one of the most notable art crimes in UK history from a stately home. The recovery of some pieces from this theft took decades.
On June 10, 2003, the Johnson Gang carried out a high-profile theft at Waddesdon Manor, a historic estate in Buckinghamshire, England. The gang broke into the Rothschild collection housed at the manor and stole over 100 priceless items, including a significant collection of antique gold snuff boxes. The meticulously planned raid lasted only minutes, during which the thieves targeted small but immensely valuable £5 million collection, due to their portability and worth.
The Cognacq-Jay museum specifies that it is closed while the investigation is underway and that it will reopen on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. People who have purchased advanced tickets for the “Luxe de Poche” exhibition or for other activities will be automatically refunded.
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