• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

Ancient bronze mirrors stolen from museum

BEIJING
Wed Sep 3, 2008 10:15am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - A bronze mirror that is more than 1,600 years old was stolen from a museum in Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, the Xinhua news agency said Wednesday, citing a museum curator.

Oddly Enough  |  Arts  |  Lifestyle  |  China

The mirror, dating from the Wei and Jin Dynasties (220-420 AD), and three others of lesser value went missing from the Dunhuang Municipal Museum during opening hours on August 24.

The mirror, 11 centimeters in diameter and a mere 0.3 cm thick, has the Chinese characters "Wei Zhi San Gong," translated as "among top ranking officials," inscribed on the back.

Dunhuang was a wealthy oasis town along the Silk Road, and the frescoes and carvings of its Mogao grottoes are some of the best preserved examples of Buddhist art in China.

The museum's sole infrared security system was operating the evening before the theft occurred. The exhibits were guarded by security personnel during the day, Xinhua said.

(Reporting by Lucy Hornby; Editing by Paul Tait)
Oddly Enough
Arts
Lifestyle
China


More from Reuters

Exclusive: Saudis quit Caribbean oil storage

NEW YORK/HOUSTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has quit a long-held lease for 5 million barrels of Caribbean oil storage near the key U.S. market and state giant PetroChina is poised to move in, industry sources say, a potentially major shift in global oil trade dynamics.

» More Top News
EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. A man holds a picture of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic as government supporters protest against opposition demonstrations during the holy day of Ashura, in Tehran December, 30 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

What next?

Six months after a disputed election, tension in Iran shows no signs of letting up.  Full Article 

IRAN
Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff is escorted by police and photographed by the media as he departs U.S. Federal Court after a hearing in New York, January 5, 2009. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

I beg your pardon ...

Bernie Madoff became the poster boy of crooked investment schemes this year -- but he wasn't alone. Here's a look at the 10 most notorious cases of 2009.  Full Article 

Corporate Crime