Romania’s National Treasures Stolen in Dutch Museum Robbery
In the early hours of the morning on Saturday, 25 January, thieves broke into a Dutch museum in a daring robbery, Four ancient gold artifacts were stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, including the exhibit’s central piece.
Police were called to the scene around 3.45am after reports of an explosion, reports the BBC. The thieves had used explosives to blast their way into the building, which houses a priceless collection of ancient Romanian jewelry.
The thieves made off with three Dacian spiral bracelets, as well as the stunning 2,500-year-old Helmet of Cotofenesti. The gold helmet is richly decorated with depictions of mythological beasts and what some believe to be a depiction of a sacrifice to the god Mithras, as well as a large and bulging pair of eyes.
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The Helmet of Cotofenesti is considered a national treasure of Romania, but all the stolen artifacts are of immense historical and cultural significance. Originally discovered by accident in 1929 in a village in Prahova County in Romania, it is usually on display in the National History Museum of Romania but was part of a travelling exhibition to the Netherlands.
Missing only a portion of its skull cap and made up of over a kilogram of gold, the helmet is in an exceptional state of preservation. The two distinctive eyes are intended to defend the wearer against evil spells.
Police believe that the robbery involved multiple individuals and the robbers may have switched cars to evade pursuit, after a burning vehicle was found near the scene of the crime. Interpol have been contacted to help with the investigation.
There is nothing else quite like Helmet of Cotofenesti in any collection in the world, and it is hoped that the helmet can be recovered undamaged.
Header Image: The Helmet of Cotofenesti, one of four items stolen in Saturday’s robbery. Source: Jerónimo Roure Pérez / CC BY-SA 4.0.
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