Art theft

The British Museum said on Aug. 16 that a member of its staff has been dismissed after items dating back as far as the 15th century B.C. were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.

The museum said it has also ordered an independent review of security and a "vigorous program to recover the missing items.″

The British Museum said Wednesday that a member of its staff has been dismissed after items dating back as far as the 15th century B.C. were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.

The museum said it has also ordered an independent review of security and a "vigorous program to recover the missing items.″

The sale at auction of old masterpieces is extremely rare, with most such works already held by museums or public collections.Of 311 pieces ever to have surpassed the $30 million mark at auction, only 13 were by Old Masters, the leading painters in Europe before 1800. These include paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt and Vermeer.     

A collection of artwork put together by billionaire David Rockefeller that includes pieces from Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Georgia O'Keeffe brought in more than $646 million on the first night of an auction.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has sent an Emergency Red List to all museums, collectors and customs gates to prevent the perception that historical artifacts that have been stolen from Syria are being smuggled via Turkey.

Thieves have stolen a painting by French master Edgar Degas valued at 6 million euros ($7.6 million) from the home of a 70-year-old Greek Cypriot, Cyprus police said on Tuesday.

The painting, titled "Ballerina adjusting her slipper," was taken on Monday from the home in the island's second city Limassol and was not insured, a police spokeswoman told AFP.

Four Romanians behind a spectacular art heist in the Netherlands were ordered July 14 to pay 18 million euros, with the fate of the stolen masterpieces by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin and Lucien Freud still a mystery.