Rare Chinese jewellery stolen from British Museum
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-02 16:10

Stone Buddha statue of ancient China was seen in this undated photo in the British Museum. The circle features flawed glass box. [file photo]

Thieves have stolen 15 rare items of medieval Chinese jewelry from the British Museum, including historically important gold earrings, amulets and hair pins, a museum spokeswoman said on Monday.

The items, dating from between 700 and 1400 AD, were taken from a glass cabinet in the Oriental Antiquities Gallery on Friday, but their loss was only spotted by security staff on Saturday.

"The items are rare and easily portable and of great historical importance," the spokeswoman said.

She declined to put a monetary value on the missing items.

The British Museum, home to such treasures as the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles, suffered a number of robberies in the 1990s which forced changes in its security procedures.

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