At 2am on Tuesday 10th June, 2003, a masked gang broke into Waddesdon Manor, the 19th-century chateau-style National Trust property built by the Rothschild banking dynasty near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. They stole over 100 gold boxes in the raid, worth in the region of £5m. Pippa Shirley, Director of Waddesdon Manor (and formerly Head of Collections), lived on the estate and was woken by a phone call in the early hours.
'It was a really traumatic night,' she recalls with a shudder. 'The memory is still very vivid even though it's 20 years ago. The house manager phoned to tell me that there had been a break-in, so I jumped in my car and drove to the Manor. He took me into the room where the gold boxes had been on display in two cases, and there was broken glass all over the floor. It was just so shocking. It felt like the most awful violation.'
Fast-forward to today and one of the missing boxes is now back on display, thanks to the hard work of the Art Loss Register (ALR), the leading due-diligence provider for the art market, which maintains the world's largest private database of stolen art, antiques and collectables including objects as diverse as classic cars and musical instruments.
Set up in 1990 by founding shareholders, including major businesses from the insurance industry and the art market, the ALR has a team of 16 employees in London and 30 in India.
We're a small team with a big reach,' says Lucy O'Meara, Recoveries Specialist at the ALR. Our work is behind the scenes in the art world - it's not unusual that people haven't heard of us.'
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de Homes & Antiques.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de Homes & Antiques.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
BULGARIA'S BEJEWELLED PAST
Buyers from around the world flocked to Geneva to bid on courtly jewels amassed by Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his family over a century ago - a collection that had lain untouched for many decades, discovers Caroline Wheater
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Georgie Wykeham
The interiors and furniture designer reflects on her antiques-filled childhood and favourite finds
Baukaus INVISIBLE REVOLUTION
The movement is predicted to make waves in 2025, and it’s easy to see why: its sleek lines and unfussy forms changed the way we approach interiors and today the style looks as fresh as ever
Enthusiasms
This Month: Dummy Boards
ECLECTIC Edwardian
In bringing this impressive period property in London back to life, its owner, Alice Merritt, has combined bold prints and quirky antiques to create a glamorous yet lived-in feel
A true ORIGINAL
In the Milanese home of architects Federica Gambigliani Zoccoli and Giovanni Maria Sacchi, an imaginative approach has created a unique, characterful and warm home, where there's a new surprise at every turn
Secrets of the STONES
Britain's ancient sites, with their many mysteries, have always inspired a sense of awe and wonder.James Alistair Henry shares some of his favourites
Natural Beauty
Derived from the flax plant, linen is one of the oldest textiles in the world, and its future is looking bright, too, says Celia Rufey
Displaying art
Christopher Peter’s apartment reflects his previous career as an art gallery curator. Here, he shares his tips on how best to display collections
SHADES OF WELLNESS
There’s a powerful link between our homes and our happiness, with interiors playing a crucial role in enhancing this connection. Read on for eight easy decorating ideas to boost wellbeing...
