Daring robbery in France - a work by Salvador Dali stolen from a museum

A bronze cover weighing 150 kg, created by Salvador Dali and adorned with gold and precious stones, was stolen from a private museum in France. The theft occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday at the Center for Contemporary Art in the city of Issoire. The cover was part of the 1958 "Book of Revelation," once called the most expensive book in the world. Museum owner Christian Caruzos described the damage as "priceless." The gendarmerie is investigating.

A bronze cover weighing 150 kg, created by Salvador Dali and adorned with gold and precious stones, was stolen from a private museum in France. The theft occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday at the Center for Contemporary Art in the city of Issoire (Puy-de-Dôme department). The Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office confirmed the theft of a "work of art of great value," calling it an "exceptional and unique exhibit." The cover was part of the "Book of Revelation," created in 1958 by art publisher Joseph Foret. Fourteen 20th-century artists and writers, including Jean Cocteau and Bernard Buffet, worked on the illustrations. Dali created the bronze cover, adorned with gold, precious stones, and shells. The entire book weighs 210 kg. From 1961 to 1972, the work was shown at 150 exhibitions, then stored in Switzerland and sold to Japanese buyers. In 2003, the book was acquired by Christian Caruzos, head of a restoration company. At its creation, the book was valued at 2 million francs (€304,900), making it the most expensive book in the world. The mayor of Issoire, Bertrand Barraud, called the damage "priceless" and said the owner is "very depressed" and considers the stolen item "France's heritage." The investigation has been assigned to the gendarmerie's research brigade in Clermont-Ferrand.