In the French town of Issoire, unknown thieves stole a bronze cover for the "Book of the Apocalypse" created by Salvador Dalí. This is reported by infohub.kz.
According to The Telegraph, the work disappeared from the Center for Contemporary Art in Issoire. The cover is adorned with gold, precious stones, and shells. The Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office called the work "exceptional and unique," emphasizing its high value.
The cover alone weighs 150 kg, while the entire book weighs about 210 kg. How the perpetrators managed to remove such a heavy object is still unknown. Police also did not say whether they had to break into the museum.
The mayor of Issoire, Bertrand Barraud, called the loss "invaluable." "It is a life's work," he said.
The owner of the work, Christian Caroutzos, said the theft was a blow to France's cultural heritage. "They killed France last night, they killed French heritage," he told local radio.
The "Book of the Apocalypse" was conceived in 1958 by publisher Joseph Foret. Fourteen famous artists and writers participated in its creation, including Jean Cocteau, Bernard Buffet, and Jean Giono. Dalí created a bronze cover for the edition.
The work itself consists of 150 large parchment sheets. The calligraphic work took about 2,000 hours, and 550 letters were made using gold.
The investigation is being conducted by the research brigade of the Clermont-Ferrand gendarmerie. The theft occurred amid a series of attacks on French museums.
Last October, jewels of the French crown worth about 88 million euros were stolen from the Louvre. In July, 27 items worth 4.5 million euros were taken from the Lalique Museum, and in September, four paintings were stolen from the Renoir Museum.