British Museum

Indian artefacts among 600 colonial-era items stolen from British museum

The break-in took place on September 25, between 1 am and 2 am earlier in the year. The police have now released grainy CCTV footage showing four white male suspects moving around the site

London's British Museum rolls out pink carpet in nod to colours of India

British Museum said its inaugural fundraising ball not only celebrated London's status as one of the world's leading cultural capitals but also the colours and light of India, rolling out the pink carpet to hundreds of celebrities from around the world. The glittering gala over the weekend, co-chaired by Reliance Group's Isha Ambani, was presented in conjunction with the museum's Ancient India: Living Traditions' exhibition that explored how Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sacred art lives on for thousands of years. Ticket sales to the so-called Pink Ball alone are believed to have raised around 1.6 million pounds, with the museum set to unveil the full extent of the fundraising efforts in the coming weeks. In India, pink is the colour of warmth, welcome and joy. It evokes a spirit of openness and grace integral to our culture, said Isha Ambani, who showcased Indian artisanship in a custom-made gown by design duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Isha was supported at the event by her mother N

Before the Louvre: History's boldest art thefts from world museums

From Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to Vincent van Gogh's The Potato Eaters, some of the most famous paintings in the world have been stolen from top museums in daring global heists

UK museum to return stolen bronze idol it purchased in 1967: TN Police

The Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University, London, which purchased the Thirumangai Alwar bronze idol in 1967, has agreed to return the idol to Tamil Nadu after the state Idol Wing CID submitted evidence of the idol's trafficking from an ancient temple in Thanjavur district, the police said on Friday. In its recent communication to the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID police, the Oxford University has expressed its "commitment to repatriate" the idol said to be worth crores of rupees back to India, due to the wing's efforts, a release here said. "They have also promised to cover all costs associated with transferring the idol from London to India, ensuring that it can be returned to the temple for worship. This marks a significant step in the efforts to return stolen idols to their rightful places of origin," the release said. Efforts were on to bring this idol to Tamil Nadu within a month's time. Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal, appreciated the exceptional work done by the Idol Wi

Make the most of the British Museum

When the British Museum opened in 1753, it was the world's first national public museum