The Chinese authorities are investigating reports that cultural treasures from a leading state-run museum were secretly sold on the market by museum staff in an alleged scam that has been described as making the Louvre thieves look “dumb”.
The scandal first came to light when a 16th-century painting that had been donated by the family of an art collector appeared for auction earlier this year.
A former director of the museum has since come under scrutiny after a former underling claimed that he had masterminded the large-scale theft and smuggling of national treasures.
The scale of the alleged crimes prompted one social media commentator to compare it with the recent heist in Paris where thieves disguised as construction workers stole some of the country’s crown jewels.
“Looks like the thief who stole from the Louvre still has a lot to learn – their method is just way too dumb,” the post said.
The allegations have shaken public trust in one of China’s leading museums at a time when the authorities are trying to promote the country as a cultural superpower and have prompted wider questions about the way cultural treasures are handled.
