Al Thani Collection Brooch and Earrings Stolen at Venice Exhibition

Summary: The Al Thani collection of Mughal Empire jewels is minus a brooch and an earring set the last day of an exhibition at the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy.

A brooch and a pair of earrings were stolen from Venice's Doge Palace (Palazza Ducale) on the last day of Tesori dei Moghul e dei Maharaja: la Collezione Al Thani, an exhibition from Sept. 9, 2017, to Jan. 3, 2018, displaying jeweled items from Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani's private collection: Palazza Ducale @DucaleVenezia, via Facebook Sep. 11, 2017

The 270 items in the Al Thani collection of the Qatari royal family are two jewels short since an early morning theft Jan. 3, 2018, at the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy.

A bare mount, a belated alarm and a broken-in case bear witness to the theft of one golden, jeweled brooch and of one pair of earrings. Online news sources variously consider the brooch's and earrings' combined worth at €30,000 and, because of their diamond, gold and platinum contents, at millions of euros. The disappearance of the unique, world-famous royal jewels despite exhibition security measures disconcerts spokespeople for the collection, the Foundation of Civic Museums and the Venice police.

Security system alarms emitted no signals until 10:00 a.m. Venice time (9:00 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time [UTC]), after two or more thieves exited with Wednesday visitors.

The Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas: The Al Thani Collection (Tesori dei Moghul e dei Maharaja: la Collezione Al Thani) traveling exhibition finished Wednesday.

The Venice Doge's Palace (Venezia Palazzo Ducale) gives Sept. 9, 2017-Jan. 3, 2018, as dates for guiding exhibition visitors through the Scrutinio Room (Salla dello Scrutinio). It has 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. UTC) as hours for honoring diamonds, emeralds, enamels, jades, pearls, rock crystals, rubies, sapphires and silver. The collection impressing New York Oct. 28, 2014-Jan. 25, 2015, London Nov. 21, 2015-April 10, 2016, and Japan Oct. 1-Dec. 11, 2016, is two pieces short.

Somehow two or more thieves jiggled security system alarms and the top of one glass case in the six-section exhibition before joining St. Mark's Square crowds.

Royal ownership kept 270 Mughal Empire (April 21, 1526-May 17, 1540, July 23, 1555-Sept. 21, 1857) and Mughal-inspired jewels safe in Qatar before four-year traveling exhibitions.

The Al Thani collection exhibition links the aesthetic appreciation of owner Sheikh Hamad al-Thani, curators Amin Jaffer and Gian Carlo Calza and scientific director Gabriella Belli. The Arcot II diamond for Queen Charlotte (May 19, 1744-Nov. 17, 1818) and the Idol's Eye, world-largest cut blue diamond, mix with 20th-century Mughal Empire-modeled jewelry. Venice's Foundation of Civic Museums (Fondazione Musei Civici Venezia) notes that "contemporary pieces," when stolen, "are of less historical value than other items in the collection."

Vice-Commissioner Marco Odorisio observes, regarding odd removals, that "We must begin with the details and then expand and go back into the causes of the theft."

Venice Police Chief Vito Gagliardi presents the thieves as professionals technologically adept at preventing alarm systems from activating timely and at pulling reinforced display cases open.

The Associated Press National Agency (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata) quotes Chief Gagliardi that "It is indispensable to understand what didn't work properly in the security systems." Chief Gagliardi reveals that "The glass case was opened up as if it were a tin can" without any damage resulting or any evidence remaining behind. Guy Martin, contributor to Forbes online, suggests that worldwide recognition stops thieves from selling stolen jewels as "white-hot" jewelry, but not as stripped-down metals and rocks.

Who took one gold, jeweled, Maharajah-influenced, 20th-century brooch and one 20th-century pair of Mughal Empire-inspired earrings from their companion pieces in the Venice Doge's Palace exhibition?

The Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibit on "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts," which ran from Oct. 10, 2009 to Jan. 17, 2010, inspired Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani's assembling of his collection of historical Indian jewelry; Queen Elizabeth II and Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani at QIPCO British Champions Day, Ascot Racecourse, east Berkshire, South East England, Oct. 19, 2013: The Art Newspaper @TheArtNewspaper, via Twitter Nov. 21, 2015

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

A brooch and a pair of earrings were stolen from Venice's Doge Palace (Palazza Ducale) on the last day of Tesori dei Moghul e dei Maharaja: la Collezione Al Thani, an exhibition from Sept. 9, 2017, to Jan. 3, 2018, displaying jeweled items from Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani's private collection: Palazza Ducale @DucaleVenezia, via Facebook Sep. 11, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/DucaleVenezia/photos/a.1557313117662594.1073741833.1141765849217325/1557313367662569/

The Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibit on "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts," which ran from Oct. 10, 2009 to Jan. 17, 2010, inspired Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani's assembling of his collection of historical Indian jewelry; Queen Elizabeth II and Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani at QIPCO British Champions Day, Ascot Racecourse, east Berkshire, South East England, Oct. 19, 2013: The Art Newspaper @TheArtNewspaper, via Twitter Nov. 21, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/TheArtNewspaper/status/668007271989960704

For further information:

ABC/AP. 4 January 2018. "Qatari Royals' Jewels Stolen at Venice Exhibition After Display Case 'Opened Like a Tin Can.'" Australian Broadcasting Corporation > News.
Available @ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/qatari-royals-jewels-stolen-from-venice-exhibition/9305074

"Al Thani Collection Jewels Stolen in Audacious Venice Heist." InTic Web > Top Stories > Jan. 4, 2018.
Available @ http://www.inticweb.com/top-stories/al-thani-collection-jewels-stolen-in-audacious-venice-heist-1029-2018/

The Al Thani Collection.
Available @ http://www.thealthanicollection.com/

The Art Newspaper @TheArtNewspaper. 21 November 2015. "Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani on his jewellery collection, on show now at the @V_and_A." Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/TheArtNewspaper/status/668007271989960704

Associated Press. 3 January 2018. "Thieves Steal Precious Indian Al Thani Jewels from Venice Palace." NBC News > World.
Available @ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/thieves-steal-precious-indian-al-thani-jewels-venice-palace-n834376

Galvin, Shane. 3 January 2018. "Crafty Thieves Swipe Millions in Jewelry from Italian Palace." New York Post > News.
Available @ https://nypost.com/2018/01/03/crafty-thieves-swipe-millions-in-jewelry-from-italian-palace/

Martin, Guy. 4 January 2018. "Daring Jewel Theft in Venice: Sheikh Hamad Al-Thani's Mughal-Era Collection Suffers Loss." Forbes > Lifestyle > Foreign Affairs.
Available @ https://www.forbes.com/sites/guymartin/2018/01/04/daring-jewel-theft-in-venice-sheikh-hamad-al-thanis-mughal-era-collection-suffers-loss/#2383b3b72542

Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; D'Agostino, Lorenzo; and Ruotolo, Nicola. 4 January 2018. "Jewels Stolen from Venice Exhibition in Brazen Daytime Heist." CNN > Style > Luxury.
Available @ http://www.cnn.com/style/article/venice-jewelry-heist-intl/index.html

"63 Objects." Metropolitan Museum of Art > Exhibitions > Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection at The Met Fifth Avenue October 28, 2014-January 25, 2015 > Exhibition Objects.
Available @ https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/objects?exhibitionId=2894cfe7-cd00-4f2c-982c-4fb853147d11

Staff and agencies in Rome. 3 January 2018. "Indian Jewellery Stolen from Qatari Royal Collection in Venice." The Guardian > World > Italy.
Available @ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/03/indian-jewellery-stolen-qatari-venice-doge-palace

"Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas: The Al Thani Collection." Doge's Palace > en > Exhibitions > Exhibitions Archive.
Available @ http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/mostre-en/archivio-mostre-en/treasures-of-the-mughals-and-the-maharajas/2017/04/18217/the-al-thani-collection/

Winfield, Nicole. 3 January 2018. "Thieves Steal Famed Indian Jewels from Venice Exhibit." Yahoo! News.
Available @ https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thieves-steal-famed-al-thani-jewels-venice-exhibit-171718396.html