According to the museum's press release, three individuals broke into the museum at around 4 a.m. on April 21 (around 9 a.m. Vietnam time) and stole "priceless" artifacts.
The museum said all security measures were activated. The alarm sounded and security cameras captured numerous images of the thief. The museum has handed over the evidence to local police, Xinhua reported on April 21.
16th-century Chinese royal wine jar stolen on April 21, 2024
Richard Veymiers, director of the Royal Mariemont Museum, said the thieves appeared to have been well prepared and carried out the operation in just a few minutes. "They knew the exact entrance, the escape route and the specific location where the objects would be displayed," Veymiers added.
Following the break-in, local police, in coordination with the federal police forensic team, quickly arrived at the scene and launched an investigation to track down the stolen vase and identify the perpetrators of the theft.
The wine bottle in question is a masterpiece from the Chinese imperial workshop of the Ming Dynasty. Decorated with aquatic motifs, the wine bottle is recognized as a “treasure” by the Wallonia-Brussels Confederation. It was acquired by Belgian industrialist Raoul Warocque during a diplomatic mission to China in 1912.
Following the incident, the museum remained open to the public on April 21. However, the East Asia Gallery was temporarily closed due to the incident.
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