Ivory Buddha from India among 600 artefacts stolen from Bristol museum

 A number of artefacts from India dating back to the British colonial era are among over 600 “high value” items stolen in a burglary at Bristol Museum in south-west England, police said on Thursday.

The Avon and Somerset Police said the items were taken from the museum’s British Empire and Commonwealth collection on September 25. CCTV footage released shows four white male suspects, and police have appealed to the public for information.

The historic collection documents Britain’s links with its former colonies from the late 19th century onwards. Stolen items include an ivory Buddha and a waist belt buckle belonging to an East India Company officer.

“Detectives investigating a high-value burglary are appealing for the public’s help to identify these people,” the police said. “These items, many of which were donations, are of significant cultural value and their theft is a major loss for the city.”

Detective Constable Dan Burgan added that the investigation has involved extensive CCTV and forensic work, as well as interviews. He urged anyone who recognises the suspects in the footage or comes across the stolen items online to contact the police.

It remains unclear why the police issued the appeal more than two months after the burglary.

According to the Bristol Museum, the British Empire and Commonwealth collection includes household items, souvenirs, photographs, and papers from people who lived and worked in Britain’s colonies. The collection aims to give visitors insight into the workings of the British Empire and the lives of those who made it function.

“The majority of the collection was previously held by the former British Empire & Commonwealth Museum in Bristol,” the museum states. It includes around 2,000 items in its film section, dating from 1920 to the 1970s, with strong amateur footage from India and African countries.
(With PTI inputs)